Rams clinch playoff spot; CHS blasts Salem
Published 12:00 am Sunday, April 2, 2006
WOODVILLE &8212; Thanks to solid pitching performances on the mound by Corey Ellis and Blake Fontenot, the Wilkinson Christian Rams swept a District 6-A doubleheader from Union Academy Friday afternoon.
Wilkinson Christian defeated the Saints 12-0 in the first game and 13-0 in the second game. Both games went just four innings. In the process, the Rams clinched a spot in the Class A playoffs.
&8220;We still have to win one more game to win the district championship,&8221; Rams head coach Ray Olive said.
With just two district games remaining in the regular season, WCCA (6-0, 8-7) can clinch the district championship and the No. 1 seed out of 6-A with a win at home over Amite School Center next Tuesday or at Prentiss Christian on April 11.
And this doubleheader turned out to be an important one for both teams as Union Academy came in at 3-1 in district after ASC had to forfeit a win over the Saints for using an ineligible player.
In the first game, Ellis put on a pitching clinic as he gave up just one hit, struck out and walked only one in four innings.
Collin Dor/ led WCCA&8217;s offense by going 2-for-3, including a triple to lead off the bottom of the first inning. Dor/ then scored on an error to start a four-run rally.
T-Ray Deville double with the bases loaded and scored all three runs during a six-run second inning that basically put the game away.
In the second game, Fontenot went three innings, giving up just one hit while striking out six and walking only one. Corey Havard pitched the fourth and struck out one while giving up two hits.
&8220;I was pleased with the performances of the pitchers,&8221; Olive said. &8220;When you&8217;re throwing strikes and hitting your spots, it makes the coach very pleased.&8221;
Corey Havard doubled to score Dor/ in the bottom of the first. Zach Pourciau hit a triple later in the inning to bring in two runs and scored on a John Ott single. Kirk Havard brought in two runs with a fielder&8217;s choice and Sutton Olive had a two-run single during a nine-run third inning.
&8220;I put in some of my younger players in the third inning,&8221; Olive said.
Cathedral 14, Salem 0
NATCHEZ &8212; On Senior Night, the Green Wave honored their six seniors &8212; Charlie Lane, Zack Calhoun, Murphy Hinson, Alex Middleton, Drew David and Jared Burkhardt &8212; and three of them played exceptionally well in a shutout win over the Wildcats in a Division 7-1A game Friday night.
&8220;All the seniors were able to start tonight and they all did a good job for us,&8221; Cathedral head coach Craig Beesley said.
Lane went three innings and allowed just one hit, struck out five and walked three. He also went 4-for-4 with six runs batted in, including a two-run triple in the bottom of the second.
&8220;Charlie pitched the first three innings. Alex Middleton pitched the next inning and Jared Burkhardt pitched the last inning,&8221; Beesley said. &8220;I was glad to get them all in.&8221;
The game lasted just four and a half innings as Cathedral (7-0, 10-3) scored five runs each in the bottom of the first and third innings and two more in the bottom of the fourth.
Huntington 13, Tallulah Academy 6
TALLULAH, La. &8212; This isn&8217;t the same Trojans ball club that teams including Huntington could just get an easy win against, and the Hounds found that out Friday night in a District 7-A game.
Huntington (5-1, 9-6) had a 4-1 lead going into the bottom of the third inning until Tallulah (2-3 in 7-A) scored four runs off winning pitcher Trey Corbett, including a two-run home run by Jeremy Clack.
&8220;Tallulah&8217;s a better ball club than they&8217;ve been in the past,&8221; Hounds head coach Mitch Ashmore said. &8220;They&8217;ve got some good hitters. We made a couple of mental mistakes early that allowed them to get in there.&8221;
Corbett settled down and ended up pitching six innings. He struck out seven and walked three.
&8220;We were down 6-4 going into the fourth,&8221; Ashmore said. &8220;They scored (almost) all their runs in the bottom of the third. That was their big inning. After that we started hitting the ball well after our initial shock of getting behind. We had to flip the switch around the fifth inning.&8221;
Huntington responded by scoring four runs in the top of the fifth inning off losing pitcher Cason Landrum to take the lead for good at 8-6 and put the game away by scoring five runs off reliever Tony Irvin in the top of the seventh.
&8220;Trey Corbett set the tone for us tonight,&8221; Ashmore said. &8220;Not only did he give us six quality innings, but he also went 4-for-4. He hit the ball very hard. We were very proud of him.&8221;
Corbett hit two home runs for Huntington.