Spring Break Roundup: See how local baseball, softball teams fared this week

Published 5:55 pm Friday, March 30, 2018

With spring break in effect for Jefferson County students, many local baseball and softball teams hit the road for some fun in the sun. A few of them even managed to squeeze in a game or two while they were at it.

Below is a roundup of local baseball/softball coverage from this week. 

The Gardendale baseball team (15-6) kept its hot streak going with a 4-0 effort at the Lake Martin Classic in Alexander City. After falling to Class 7A No. 3 Oak Mountain on March 9, the Rockets have gone on to win 10 of their last 11 games.

Gardendale opened spring break play with a 4-2 win over Class 5A No. 5 Etowah on Monday thanks to a three-run fifth inning.

David Harris went 2-for-3 at the plate with a double and an RBI. Colt Belcher went 2-for-2 with a pair of singles while Austin Burdette and Peyton Godfrey both drove in a run for the Rockets.

Michael Crowder earned the win in six innings of work. He allowed two runs to score while striking out three batters. Belcher checked in to record the save in the seventh.

Also on Monday, Gardendale blew by Beauregard 9-2.

Crowder drove in three runs on a 2-for-3 outing. Harris (3-for-4 with a triple) and Hayes Haygood (2-for-4 with two singles) delivered with two RBIs apiece. The win went to Hunter Stokes, who tossed the first six frames, allowing two runs to score on three hits. He struck out four batters and left it to Austin Kendrick in the seventh.

Gardendale returned to Alexander City on Wednesday for a doubleheader. The day started with an 11-6 win over Handley.

Thanks to a strong offensive outing from Haygood (3-for-3 with two RBIs), Keegan Hudson (2-for-4 with three RBIs), Belcher (2-for-3 with three RBIs), and Crowder (3-for-4 with two RBIs, Gardendale sent nine runs across through the first four innings of play to take a commanding lead.

The Rockets finished their tournament outing with a 7-1 decision over Benjamin Russell.

Belcher stayed hot with a 4-for-4 outing. As a team, Gardendale outhit the Wildcats, 14-6.

Head coach Pat Keedy’s team is scheduled to host Center Point next Tuesday.

The Mortimer Jordan baseball team (19-7) stayed pretty close to home on spring break. They also, for the most part, stayed in the win column.

With a critical Class 5A, Area 11 stretch approaching, the Blue Devils found their stride, winning seven of their eight games throughout the week. It started on Friday when they beat Minor, 14-4.

Mortimer Jordan scored 10 runs in the second and eventually ended things in the fifth via mercy rule. Junior first baseman Ian Ellerbrock led the offense with two runs scored and an RBI off a 2-for-3 outing. Garek Hall, Chas Austin and Will Allman also recorded a hit for the home team.

On Saturday, Mortimer Jordan senior Joseph Swann earned a 7-1 win at Curry. He threw six innings, allowing one run off three hits while striking out eight Yellow Jackets.

Designated hitter Bo Prisoc helped the offensive efforts with a 3-for-3 outing that included two RBIs and a run scored. Garrison McCleney scored two runs of his own to go with three more from Colby Harris.

Two days later Mortimer Jordan swept a doubleheader in Kimberly, first beating Oakman 4-3 and later beating Oak Grove 9-8.

The Blue Devils managed six hits on the Wildcats while Grayson Nabors (five innings) and Tripp Horton (two innings) shared the rubber.

Mortimer Jordan had to fight back from a seven-run deficit in the final frame to beat Oak Grove in the nightcap. The home team posted eight runs in the bottom of the seventh to beat the Tigers 9-8 in a game that they had trailed throughout.

Senior third baseman Trevor Chandler delivered the walk-off single in the seventh. He, Ellerbrock and Prisoc finished 2-for-4 at the plate.

They won two more games on Tuesday, first beating Pleasant Grove 12-1 and again beating Oak Grove 9-8.

McCleney pitched all five innings against Pleasant Grove to earn the win. Typically a center fielder, the right-hander struck out six Spartans and surrendered four hits in the win. His offense pulled away in the third inning when 10 runs poured in, essentially ending the contest.

Things were much tighter against Oak Grove, but Chas Austin connected with a walk-off single in the tenth inning. The hit scored Prisco who reached earlier on a hit-by-pitch and secured a 9-8 win.

Mortimer Jordan ended the week with a split doubleheader at Shades Valley on Wednesday. Head coach Shayne Carnes and the boys will get back to area play next week when they host Corner for a single game on Tuesday and return the trip on Thursday for a double dip.

The Corner baseball team (14-10) won three of their seven games over spring break.

The Yellow Jackets started with a 9-6 win over Oak Grove on Saturday and bounced back for two wins on Friday over Cordova and J.B. Pennington.

Colby Drummond drove home two runs on one hit during a 10-2 win over Cordova. Isaiah McCracken also chipped in with two RBIs for Corner.

Brayden Rowe led the way in a 9-4 win over J.B. Pennington, swinging in four runs for the Yellow Jackets. Trent Shedd provided two more RBIs while Bailey Echols (two innings), Justin Cummings (1 1/3 innings) and Cole Fuller ( 3 2/3 innings) shared time on the hill.

The Mortimer Jordan softball team (19-11) went 5-2 at the Gulf Coast Classic.

The sixth-ranked Blue Devils finished pool play 3-1 and later beat Rogers 10-0 followed by a 6-3 win over Smith Station in bracket play. Vestavia Hills eventually ended their run at the beach by a final of 3-1.

Mortimer Jordan jumps back into Class 5A, Area 11 play next Tuesday when No. 3 Springville comes to town.

Erik Harris is the Sports Editor of The North Jefferson News. Email him at njnsports@gmail.com or follow him on Twitter @jeharris2.