Area teams compete in baseball, softball action

Published 9:44 am Wednesday, February 22, 2023

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The Goshen High School baseball team, Zion Chapel softball team and both the Pike Liberal Arts baseball and softball teams were in action on Tuesday.

The Goshen Eagles (1-2) dropped their Tuesday night game to Class 4A’s TR Miller by a score of 15-1. Tyler McLendon earned Goshen’s only hit of the afternoon, a triple, as well as scoring the lone Eagle run. A total of four different players touched the mound for Goshen. Andrew Galloway pitched two and 1/3 innings and struck out three batters, while giving up two hits and no earned runs. McLendon struck out three batters and gave up four hits and three earned runs in one inning pitched, while Brody Wilks pitched one and 1/3 innings and struck out three batters along with giving up three hits and two earned runs. Of Goshen’s 15 runs allowed, just five were earned runs. Galloway also had four putouts.

The Pike Liberal Arts Patriots (0-2) dropped a tough matchup with the Pike Road Patriots (2-0) on Tuesday night by a score of 2-1. Pike Lib’s second baseball game in the Alabama High School Athletic Association (AHSAA) came against Class 6A’s Pike Road, who defeated Charles Henderson in the Class 5A State Playoffs last season.

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The two sides remained scoreless until dueling home runs became the difference. Pike Lib’s KC Bradford belted a solo home run in the fourth inning to give PLAS a 1-0 lead and then Pike Road hit a two-run homer of its own in the fifth inning to take a 2-1 lead. Pike Lib was unable to get back in scoring position as Pike Road held on for the win.

John Lott, Bradford and Kade Brookins each earned one hit for PLAS, while Rhodes Baker and Brookins stole two bases each. Davis Kilcrease took the loss on the mound as he pitched two innings and struck out two batters, while giving up two hits and two earned runs. Bradford and Payne Jefcoat pitched two innings each. Bradford struck out four batters and gave up four hits, while Jefcoat struck out two batters and gave up one hit. Neither Bradford nor Jefcoat allowed a run. Lott earned seven putouts at catcher, while Jefcoat had three putouts.

The Pike Lib Lady Patriots (0-1) started off the 2023 season on Tuesday with a 6-3 loss to the Northside Methodist Lady Knights in their AHSAA debut. After getting down 3-0 in the first inning, the Lady Pats cut the lead to 3-1 in the top of the third when Alissa Barron hit an RBI double to drive Riley Burkett home. Northside extended the lead to 4-1 in the bottom of the third inning but PLAS cut it down to 4-2 when Allie Booth drove Emily Bryan home with a ground out in the top of the fourth inning.

Northside extended the lead to 6-2 in the fifth inning and Tera Walker drove Olivia Schwarte home with an RBI double in the top of the sixth inning to cut the lead to 6-3 but that was as close as the Lady Patriots would get.

Walker led PLAS at the plate, going 2-for-3 with an RBI and a double. Bryan hit a triple on the afternoon, while Bella Maulden, Barron and Burkett each hit a double.

Maulden pitched four innings and struck out five batters, while giving up six hits and three earned runs. Barron also pitched two innings and retired five batters, while giving up two hits and two earned runs. Bryan had 10 putouts and two assists on the defensive end, while Briann Snyder had five putouts and an assist.

The Zion Chapel Lady Rebels (0-1) opened up the season with a 5-0 loss to Class 4A’s Slocomb on Tuesday. The Lady Rebs were unable to reach base in the loss as Slocomb pitcher Cieara Baker threw a no-hitter. Zion Chapel’s Sydney Booth mowed down 10 batters in her debut in the circle this season, while giving up six hits and two earned runs in six innings pitched. Catcher Amber Kidd earned 11 putouts on defense, as well.