DOTHAN, AL – Senior right-hander Austin Ingram hurled a two-hit shutout and was 2-for-4 at the plate with an RBI as the Trojans of Charles Henderson High defeated the Class 6A Northview High Cougars 3-0 in the first game of a double-header Tuesday evening in Dothan, and the bats exploded for 14 runs on 14 hits in the nightcap for a 14-3 win.

With the two wins, the Trojans improve to 25-2 on the season and entered the twin-bill as the No. 1 ranked team in the state in Class 5A, and ranked in two other national high school baseball polls.

“I thought Austin (Ingram) was outstanding in game one,” said CHHS Head Coach Derek Irons. “To go on the road and throw a two-hitter against a good team like Northview isn’t easy to do. He also led us offensively, as well and showed great leadership getting us off on the right foot coming back from spring break.

“The last three games we didn’t swing the bats real well, so I was very proud to get off to a fast start in game 2. We had six guys with multiple hits so we swung it well up and down the lineup.”

As the visitors in game one, CHHS got on the board first as senior catcher Chase Smartt walked, stole second base and scored on a single to left field by Ingram, and a 1-0 lead.

Northview got two base runners on in the bottom of the first with one out, but Ingram forced a fly out and struck out the next hitter to kill the scoring threat.

CHHS added two more runs in the top of the 6th as Ingram doubled to right-center with two outs, Chase Hartley singled, Ingram scored on an infield error and DeAndre Pitts singled up the middle to score Hartley for the 3-0 lead.

Northview got two base runners on in the bottom of the sixth, but Smartt threw out an attempted steal to second base, Ingram struck out the next batter and forced a fly out to center to end the scoring opportunity for the Cougars.

Ingram ended the night throwing 98 pitches for the complete game victory, striking out six, allowing only two hits and walking two.

CHHS managed five hits in the first game, as Ingram had two, while Reilly Fox, Hartley and Pitts had one hit each.

 

In the second game CHHS scored six runs in the top of the first inning as Nick Lewis walked, Fox reached on a bunt single, Smartt singled, Ingram doubled, Hartley singled, Pitts tripled and Hunter Reeves singled for the 6-0 lead.

Northview scored one run in the second inning to cut the lead to 6-1, but CHHS got that run back in the top of the fourth as Lewis doubled and scored on a passed ball.

The Cougars added two in the bottom of the fourth making it 6-3, but the CHHS bats were hot in the top of the fifth as Jason Fleming was hit by a pitch, Bryson Gandy doubled, Lewis drove in a run with a sacrifice fly, Fox reached on another bunt single, Smartt and Hartley singled, Pitts was hit by a pitch, and Reeves launched a three-run homer to left-center field for the 14-3 lead.

Cole Wilson was strong on the mound for the Trojans, allowing three runs on five hits over five innings, striking out four and walking three.

CHHS was led at the plate by Fox, Smartt, Ingram, Hartley, Reeves and Gandy with two hits each, while Lewis and Pitts had one hit apiece.

The Trojans play at home Friday against Houston Academy at Riddle-Pace Field at 4:30 p.m., Saturday at 11 a.m. against Muscle Shoals at Hogan’s Hole on the campus of CHHS, and returning to Riddle-Pace at 5 p.m. Saturday to take on Paxton, Fla.