LIONS SPILT DOUBLEHEADER WITH NORTHVIEW

Click to view image

LIONS’ LAST INNING HEROICS EARN SPILT WITH NORTHVIEW TO AVOID SWEEP

Former Prattville baseball coach Steve Garrett brought his Northview High Cougars to Prattville Tuesday night, February 28, and was within three outs of repeating a visit to Prattville in 2010.  Garrett brought his Cougars to Prattville to take on the Lions in the first round of the playoffs.

It turned sour for the Lions as Garrett’s crew won both games to send the Lions home for the season.

Tuesday night after rallying for three runs in the top of the seventh inning in the opener to win, 7-6, his Cougars almost pulled the double dip win again.

 In the nightcap the Cougars fell behind 1-0 and appeared dead in the water as Blair Gorton, making his first start of the young season handcuffed the Cougars with only one base runner for four innings. Prattville appeared on their way to a 1-0 win after Dalton Kelley doubled and scored on Hayden White’s single.

Don’t count Garrett and his Cougars out.  In the fifth inning after one was out Lion third baseman Sam Chambliss threw erratic to first base on a ground ball from Storm Garrett (Steve’s son).  Garrett went to second and was plated with a single from Ben Swicord to knot the game.

In the top of the seventh inning, Northview took a 2-1 lead on a bazaar inning.  Gornto fielded Gunner Peters’ ground ball back to the hill, but threw wildly to first base with Peters going to second base. Gornto then balked advancing Peters to third.

It looked as if Gornto would get out of the inning unscathed after he struck out Garrett and got Charles Swicord to pop up, catching the high pop fly himself for the second out.

However, expect the unexpected from Garrett.   Garrett then sends Peters flying home to steal home, which he did, for a 2-1 Northview lead. 

Lion coach Tommy Goodson brought in Derrick Deates to pitch to pinch hitter Braden Olive.  On a 2-1 count Olive tapped a base hit into short right field where Hayden White fielded the ball and fired a strike to third baseman Sam Chambliss who tagged Ben Swicord out trying to motor to third base on the hit.

The Cougars now needed three outs to complete the sweep.  Garrett’s younger son, Brax, came into relief of starter Jordan Thorpe in the third inning after Prattville took the 1-0 lead.  

From the time he entered until the final inning, he faced 12 hitters and retired all except one hitter that he walked in the fourth inning.  Young Garrett was on cruise control, but the wheels fell off in the final at bat from Prattville.

Jordan Friday opened the inning with a booming double into deep center field.  Garrett struck out Chase Barber on four pitches.  Shelby McVey pinch hit for Garrison Mathis and walked.  Dalton Kelley then beat out an infield hit sliding under the throw at first to load the sacks.

Garrett‘s first pitch to Lovelady was muffed by catcher Jeremy Summerford for a pass ball allowing Friday to score sending Mathis to third (Mathis re-entered for McVey).  Lovelady walked reloading the sacks.  Hayden White then became the hero for the second week in a row.  His long fly ball to centerfield sends Mathis home with the winning run.

White had delivered a grand slam in Tuscaloosa last week to pace the Lions over Oak Mountain, 8-4.

With the victory it earned the Lions a spilt of the two games played on a very muddy field that had been soaked by early morning rains.

FIRST GAME;  NORTHVIEW 7 PRATTVILLE 6

Prattville took a 2-0 lead in the first inning.  Dalton Kelley reached first on a throwing error when first baseman Josh Hutto dropped the throw from third base.

Josh Lovelady singled into left field sending Kelley to third.  Kelley then scored on a single from Sam Chambliss moving Ethan Lambdin (courtesy runner from Lovelady) to third.  Lamdbin scored with Chandler Kemp’s sacrifice fly to right field.

Prattville made it 3-0 in the second inning.  Shelby McVey led off with a double, went to third on Kelley’s single, and then scored when Lovelady bounced out to shortstop.

Northview got to Lion starter Jordan Friday in the third inning.  The Cougars pushed over four runs on four base raps, a sacrifice fly, a walk and an Lion error to take a 4-3 lead.

Prattville bounced back to regain the lead in the fourth inning.  After one was out, Shelby McVey walked and was balked to second base.  Garrison Mathis pop up to first base for the second out.  Dalton Kelley then grooved Cougar pitcher Breden Olive’s fast ball over the 325 foot marker in left field to reclaim the lead, 5-4.

Give Northview credit they wouldn’t fold the tents.  Kelley came in relief in the sixth inning, and worked out of a jam with two runners on base by striking out Summerford and Thorpe and getting Raquel Marsh to fly out to right field.

The seventh inning turned sour for Kelley.  He promptly hit the leadoff batter, Steven Benak.  But he settled down and struck out Brandon Shirley and got Hutto to roll out to the hill.

Kelley then hit Peters, and Storm Garrett followed with base hit to plate Benak with Peters going to third.  On the throw in Peters swiped home plate and Garrett went to third.  Garrett the scored the third run after Charles Swicord singled to right field for a 7-5 lead.

Prattville wouldn’t roll over and staged a rally in their half of the inning.  Lovelady led off with a single with Lambdin running for him

White doubled into center field to score Lambdin, but the rally died as Clay Stout retired the side with a strikeout, a nibbler back to the mound, and a ground out to third base. 

Prattville came back to win the second game in dramatic fashion and avoided the embrassing situation of a double dip loss on the Lions’ home court.