(by Don Meador, for The Citizen-Times, Used with permission)
The Allen County-Scottsville baseball team went 3-1 for the week---a week in which the Patriots downed district rival Monroe County 12-1, survived Metcalfe County 17-14, and defeated Wayne County 9-4 in the second game of a twin-bill Saturday. The lone loss was a 6-4 loss to Wayne County earlier in the day on Saturday.
The slate of games opened with Wednesday’s 12-1 win over the Falcons. The Patriots recorded 10 hits in the game. Leading the offensive charge was Marcus Carter and Aaron Howell. Carter’s day included a double, single, and a RBI while Howell had two hits and an RBI. Brett Rippy, Sheldon Peay, and Tristan Brooks recorded doubles in the game, Brooks’ afternoon included a team-high three RBI’s with Warren Bray and Sheldon Peay also driving in a pair of runs.
Defensively, Peay worked a very solid game on the mound. The junior allowed one run on three hits, recorded five strikeouts, and walked four batters. Peay threw 84 pitches in the game with 48 pitches being strikes. Peay opened with strikes to 11 of the 21 batters he faced in the game.
The Patriots pushed three runs across the plate in the home-half of the first before adding four runs in the second to open a 7-0 lead. AC-S added two more runs in the third and three runs in the fourth. The game was called in the fifth because of the 10-run ahead rule.
Thursday’s game at Metcalfe County appeared to be headed to run-rule territory after the Patriots plated seven runs in the top of the fourth to open a 13-2 lead. However, the host Hornets scored 12 consecutive runs to edge ahead in the football-like score of 14-13. AC-S would need a homer in the seventh inning to force extra innings before plating three runs for the win in eighth---a dynamic finish that concluded the two-hour, 45-minute game.
AC-S opened the Metcalfe County game with six runs on three hits in the top of the first. A walk by Peay, a single by Owen Stamper, and a walk by Brooks loaded the bases. Howell would be hit by a pitch, a play that allowed Peay to score from third. Stamper would score moments later on a passed ball. Brett Rippy’s two-out, two RBI singles would lift AC-S to a 4-0 lead. A Metcalfe County error allowed two more runs to score as AC-S took a 6-0 lead.
Metcalfe County added two runs in the bottom of the inning off AC-S starter Zack Ausbrooks. The game stayed a 6-2 until the Patriot fourth. Carter opened with a double with Bray following with a bunt single. A walk to Peay loaded the bases. Stamper was hit by a pitch that allowed carter to score. Brooks followed with a two RBI double to give AC-S a 9-2 lead. Stamper scored as Howell reached on a Hornet error. Howell and Zack Sowers would also cross the plate to enable AC-S to build a 13-2 lead.
The Hornets’ come back began in the bottom of the fourth. A single and three Patriot fielding errors set the stage. A walk and a double by the Hornets capped off the five run inning. Metcalfe County continued to charge back, adding two runs on two hits off of Patriot reliever Seth Davis in the fifth. In the home half of the sixth, five Hornet runs on five hits completed the comeback and gave Metcalfe County a 14-13 lead to the seventh inning.
Now, it was AC-S’s turn for the dynamic. Stamper popped out to second. Brooks continued his hot afternoon as he turned on a fast ball and belted a game tying home run to right centerfield. Sowers reached on an error, Rippy walked and Cayden Ross beat out an infield hit to load the bases. However, the threat ended as Carter popped out to the Hornet shortstop.
The Patriot coaching staff put the ball in the hands of Drew Meador, charging the right-hander to prolong the game. Meador retired the Hornets (2-10) in order in the bottom of the inning.
AC-S opened their last at bat with Bray reaching on a fielding error by Metcalfe’s short stop. Peay executed a successful bunt single. Moments later, Stamper’s bunt to move the runners to second and third resulted in a throwing error---a play that allowed Bray to score the go ahead run. Brooks grounded into a fielder’s choice---a play that allowed Brendon Ploughe---Peay’s courtesy runner to score. A passed ball gave AC-S an insurance run and a 17-14 lead. Meador closed out the Hornets in order in the bottom of the inning for the win.
The Patriots finished with 14 hits. Peay and Bray led the way with three hits. Brook’s day included a double and home run with Ross also recording multiple hits in the win.
Saturday’s action included a varsity double-header at Wayne County. In the first game, AC-S managed just five hits in their 6-4 loss—a game in which all Patriot runs would come in the one inning.
AC-S trailed 1-0 when Rippy walked to lead off the third inning. After an out, Rippy stole second and came around to score on a Brooks’ single. An error allowed Brooks to move to second and a second Wayne County error enabled Brooks to score the Patriot second run of the game. Carter followed with a two run RBI double to give AC-S a 4-1 lead.
The Cardinals answered with a pair of runs in the bottom of the third to pull within one. Two more runs in the fourth gave the hosts the lead and a run in the fifth increased the Cardinals lead to two. The Patriots could not answer the rest of the way to suffer the loss.
In addition to Carter’s double, Stamper recorded a double in the game. Brooks, Carter, and Ross accounted for the remaining hits for AC-S in the game. Defensively, Stamper suffered the loss on the hill, giving up six runs on eight hits.
In the 9-4 win over Wayne County (6-9) Saturday afternoon, a four run first inning staked AC-S to a lead they would not relinquish. Walks by Brooks and Bray were followed by a Carter RBI single. Stamper then ripped a two-run double that gave the Patriots a 3-0 lead. Two batters later, Ross’s single plated Stamper for the final run of the inning,
AC-S added a run in the third before pushing four more runs across in the top of the fifth. Ross’s double to ignite the inning was followed by a Hunter Foster RBI single. A wild Wayne County pitch gave AC-S a seventh run with Peay blasted a two-run home run moments later to give his team a 9-2 lead.
The Patriots finished with seven hits in the game. Ross led the way with a two-for-four afternoon. Peay, Carter, Stamper, and Foster also had hits in the game. On the mound, Foster worked a complete game, giving up four runs on sixth hits, striking out three batters, while surrounding two bases-on-balls.
AC-S (7-9) is scheduled to travel to Franklin-Simpson (13-3) Thursday before hosting South Warren (8-10) Friday afternoon at 5 at Patriot Field. The Patriots will be at Barren County (6-8) next Tuesday.