Prep baseball season is underway

Published 12:01 am Thursday, February 14, 2019

NATCHEZ — Inclement weather early Tuesday morning forced Adams County Christian School’s season and home opener against Christian Home Educators Fellowship to be postponed to Wednesday afternoon.

However, it was CHEF that took advantage of having the day off as the Patriots, led by the pitching of Noah Ringe and a four-run rally in the top of the fourth inning, defeated the Rebels 6-1.

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Ringe held ACCS to just two hits and the defense behind him did not commit a single error. One of the hits he gave up was a double by Connor Alpin in the bottom of the first inning, when the Rebels scored what turned out to be their only run of the game.

The Patriots, however, didn’t score against Rebels starting pitcher Rhett McDonald until the top of the fourth. McDonald took the loss after he gave up two runs in that frame before head coach Matthew Freeman went to the bullpen. CHEF scored two more runs after that pitching change to go up 4-1.

The Patriots scored two more runs in the top of the fifth to cap off the scoring. Even though they had just four total hits, they also took advantage of four errors by the Rebels.

ACCS (0-1) plays host to Porter’s Chapel Academy today at 6 p.m. The junior varsity game will start at 4 p.m.

Amite School Center 15,  Cathedral 5 (6 innings; Tues. night)

LIBERTY — Austin Griffin and Jacob Weaver combined for five of Amite School Center’s 12 hits, seven runs batted in, and six runs scored as the Rebels defeated the Cathedral High School Green Wave 15-5 in six innings Tuesday night.

Griffin went 3-for-3 with a double, five runs batted in, and three runs scored. Weaver was 2-for-4 with a pair of RBIs as well as three runs scored. Even winning pitcher Ian Stephens got in on the act by going 1-for-2 with one RBI.

Cathedral got off to a good start in its season opener, scoring two runs off Stephens in the top of the first inning. That lead would not last very long as Amite School Center scored six runs, only two of them earned, on three hits and two walks off starting pitcher Ben Foster, who was charged with the loss in what was his only inning on the mound.

Foster had a solid performance at the plate, going 2-for-2 with two runs scored. Conner Murray went 2-for-3 with one run scored. Landon Lees and Noah Russ each had a single and drove in two runs for Cathedral. Foster, Lees, and Russ were three of the five pitchers used by head coach Craig Beesley.

The Green Wave made it a 6-4 game in the top of the third inning before the Rebels scored seven runs over a three-inning stretch to go ahead 13-4. That included four runs in the bottom of the fourth.

Despite giving up four runs, two of them earned, on four hits with four walks, Stephens struck out nine batters over his four innings to pick up the win. Jesse Mellinger came on in relief and allowed one run on two hits with one walk and three strikeouts in two innings. Colton Womack had a double for his lone hit in four at-bats, but he also drove in three runs and scored one run.

Cathedral scored one run in the top of the six, but the Green Wave could not keep Amite School Center (1-1) from run-ruling them as the Rebels plated two runs in the bottom of the sixth.

Cathedral (0-1) will look to redeem itself when it hosts Amite School Center today at 7 p.m.