PREP ROUNDUP: Lipsey’s hot bat leads Bearcats to sweep in Mississippi twinbill
Published 5:38 pm Saturday, April 2, 2016
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Caleb Lipsey and the Cullman baseball team turned a Saturday trek to Mississippi into more of a business trip, blistering Lewisburg 14-0 and DeSoto Central 13-1 in a couple of five-inning affairs.
Lipsey teed off on Lewisburg for a double, grand slam and six RBIs before ripping his sixth homer of the season for the last two runs of a nine-run fifth against DeSoto Central. The junior finished the day 4 for 7 with eight RBIs and three runs out of the seven-hole.
“He’s starting to gain more confidence and staying within himself, laying off some good pitches and finding pitches he can handle,” Cullman coach Brent Patterson said. “Glad to have him producing runs.”
Lipsey was far from the only Bearcat to take part in the offensive explosion. Carter Bowen was a combined 4 for 5 with two doubles, four RBIs and four runs, while Kolby Robinson was 2 for 5 with three RBIs and the same number of runs.
Other Cullman contributors at the plate and on the basepaths paths were Owen Lovell, three hits, an RBI and a stolen base; Levi Thomas, two hits and three RBIs; Jacob Heatherly, two hits and two RBIs; Wheeler Eastman, two hits and an RBI; Noah Fondren, two hits, including a double; Ben Smith, two hits; Trent Price and Carson Freeman, a hit and RBI apiece; Chayton Grimmet and Grayson Taylor, both two runs; and Hayden Henderson, a run.
Kade Williams struck out four and walked one in five three-hit innings to collect the shutout and improve to 7-1.
Lovell upped his record to 4-0 by scattering five K’s and a hit over a three-inning start against DeSoto Central. Will Morrison tossed the fourth frame, and Thomas struck out the side on nine pitches in the fifth.
Fifth-ranked and defending Class 6A state champion Cullman (25-7) will travel to reigning 5A champ Russellville on Tuesday for a doubleheader.
% West Point 15, Deshler 0: The Warriors destroyed the Tigers from start to finish in Saturday’s five-inning victory.
Kolton Easterwood and Jaxson Garrison each had three hits, while Tanner Rusk and Matthew McDonald collected one hit and three RBIs apiece. Hunter Persall, Levl Allred, Rylan Jones, Tanner Young and Ryan Smith all had hits. Allred pitched in two RBIs, while Easterwood, Garrison and Persall each had one.
Tanner Rusk struck out 10 batters and allowed four hits in win.
% West Point 10, East Lawrence 9: The Warriors battled back from a 9-3 deficit to take down the host Eagles.
Allred (four hits, three RBIs), Rusk (three hits, two RBIs), Jones (two hits, two RBIs), Young (three hits and one RBI) and Persall (two hits) each played a huge part in the comeback win. West Point scored four runs in the top of the seventh inning.
The Maroon and White is now 8-10 on the season.
Prep Softball
% Cullman 8, Marshall County (Ky.) 6 (8 innings): The Black and Gold took a 4-0 advantage early on but had to fight hard to pull away with the win in Saturday’s Bob Jones Tournament.
Elli Dixon and Taiya Ponder each poured in three hits, while Tiffani Schwaiger (two RBI), Sierra Easterwood (two RBI), Claire Jenkins and Olivia Schwaiger all came up with two base knocks apiece to help the Bearcats improve to 16-9 overall.
Hannah Morton and McKensi Burks each contributed RBI hits as well.
“We had some bumps in the road, but overall, it was a good tournament,” Cullman coach Stephanie Conner said. “These girls are pretty resilient. We face some good competition this week.”
% Cullman 3, Corner 2: Conner’s squad kick off Saturday’s action with a tight win over the Yellow Jackets.
Ponder and Easterwood came through with RBI hits in the seventh inning, while Dixon, Olivia Schwaiger, Tiffani Schwaiger, Dixon, Bailey Swann and McKensi Burks also slugged base knocks.
Olivia Schwaiger struck out four and allowed four hits in seven innings for the win.
“Olivia did a great job of keeping them off balance,” Conner said.
% Ballard County (Ky.) 6, Cullman 2: The Bearcats wrapped up tournament play with a loss to out-of-state competition.
Jenkins smoked a solo home run, while Tiffani Schwaiger also had an RBI hit. Ponder, Easterwood, Olivia Schwaiger and Dixon rounded out the hit chart with one apiece.
% Good Hope 15, Hanceville 1: The 4A No. 9 Raiders tuned up for the county tournament with 17 hits in a five-inning win Friday on the road.
Erika Woodall and Morgan Goodwin each whipped up three hits and an RBI for Good Hope (12-7-1), while MaKailey Speegle (three RBIs, three runs) led a trio with two hits that also included Josie McDonald (RBI) and Mallory Kauffman.
Bailey Starnes (double, two RBIs), Derekia Tankersley (RBI), Chasilyn Morrow (RBI), Alex Stansell (RBI) and Jami Stinson rounded out the Raiders’ hit club. Skylar Tucker and Annie Beth Sterling both scored.
McDonald recorded the win with a strikeout, walk and hit allowed in a two-inning start. Sidnie English fanned four, walked none, and gave up two hits and an unearned run in three innings of relief.
Campbell (run), Yates and Nelson had Hanceville’s hits.
Good Hope opens the county tourney Monday at 10 a.m. against host Fairview. Hanceville and Holly Pond will follow at 11:45 a.m.