Area Baseball: CHHS, PLAS pick up area wins

Published 9:18 am Friday, March 24, 2023

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Baseball teams from around the area were in action on Thursday night with both the Charles Henderson Trojans and Pike Liberal Arts Patriots earning area wins.

The 2A No. 10-ranked Patriots (12-7, 3-0) picked up a resounding 13-3 win over the Highland Home Flying Squadron in a Class 2A, Area 5 game to remain undefeated in area competition.

After Highland Home took an early 2-0 lead in the top of the first inning, Pike Lib scored eight straight runs and took an 8-2 lead into the fourth inning. Highland Home cut the lead to 8-3 in the top of the fourth but PLAS scored five more runs in the bottom of the fourth and fifth innings to secure the 13-3 win.

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Payne Jefcoat went 2-for-3 at the plate with a triple, three RBIs and two runs, while Houston Gunter went 2-for-3 with a pair of RBIs and runs. John Lott also earned a double and one run, while KC Bradford and Levi DeBoer scored two runs each. Davis Kilcrease, Cole Garrott and Luke Barron scored one run.

Garrott struck out three batters and gave up two hits and no earned runs in three innings on the mound, while Kilcrease gave up no hits and one earned run with a strikeout in two innings pitched.

After the Trojans (10-7, 2-1) were shutout by Rehobeth on Tuesday, a fired up CHHS squad hit the road and swept the Rebels in a Class 5A, Area 3 doubleheader on Thursday. The Trojans outscored the Rebels 26-11 in the two games.

In game one, Charles Henderson exploded to score eight runs in the second inning and never looked back, also scoring six in the seventh, to secure the team’s first area win by a score of 19-6.

Damien Hart came up big for the Trojans at the plate, going a perfect 3-for-3 with two big time home runs, a double, three RBIs and four runs. Hart was also walked twice. Cole Pugh went 2-for-4 with a double, one RBI and three runs. Parker Adams, Chase Vaznaian and Cooper Johnson each had two hits, as well. Kellen Stewart, Johnson and Jordan McBryde scored two runs, while Will Templin and Vaznaian scored one run each.

Pugh pitched three and 2/3 innings with two strikeouts, while giving up nine hits and five earned runs. Vaznaian pitched three and one 1/3 innings and fanned one batter, while giving up three hits and one earned run.

In game two, CHHS trailed 5-4 going into the sixth inning when the Trojans rallied to score three runs in the sixth inning to secure a 7-5 win.

Hart’s bat was once again hot in game two with the senior catcher going 2-for-4 with a double, a triple, two RBIs and one run. KaNeil Lewis went 2-for-3 with an RBI and two runs, while Vaznaian went 2-for-3 with two RBIs and Pugh was 2-for-4 at the plate. Johnson, Wilson Jones, Templin and Adams scored one run each.

McBryde pitched four and 2/3 innings in game two and retired two batters, while giving up 11 hits and four earned runs. Johnson toed the rubber for two and 1/3 innings and mowed down six batters, while giving up just one hit and no runs.

In Class 2A, Area 4 action, the Zion Chapel Rebels (5-8, 2-2) fell 16-3 to reigning 2A State Champion GW Long on Thursday despite the Rebels leading 3-1 going into the third inning. GW Long’s win gave them an area series sweep over ZCHS.

Brodie Stinson and Wes Braisted earned ZCHS’s lone hits of the afternoon, both doubles, while Stinson, Jackson Adcock and Austin Jordan scored one run each.

John Foster Hamm pitched three and 1/3 innings and struck out a pair of batters, while giving up five hits and six earned runs.

In a Class 3A, Area 4 game, the Pike County Bulldogs were shutout 19-0 by the Opp Bobcats. Keldon Singleton and Kamel Flowers earned Pike County’s only hits of the afternoon. Flowers’ hit was a double. A total of four PCHS pitchers touched the mound. Singleton pitched two and 2/3 innings and struck out a pair of hitters, while giving up two hits and three earned runs.