Corner baseball 2019

The Corner baseball team could not protect a 6-0 lead in a winner-take-all third game of a first-round playoff series at fourth-ranked Southside-Gadsden Monday night.

The Yellow Jackets put up four runs in the top of the fifth inning to extend what was a 2-0 lead when the frame began, but the home-standing Panthers pushed eight runs across with their next two offensive opportunities to mount a massive playoff comeback that sends first-year head coach Shane Chappell on to the round of 16.

Southside sophomore Thomas Little lifted a two-out, three-run shot to right field in the bottom of the sixth—an inning that resulted in six Panther runs—to give his team its first lead of the game at 8-6. That score later went final.

Southside also scored two runs in the fifth, following Corner’s four runs in the top-half. Little led the Panthers with four RBIs to go with single-RBI efforts from Connor Johnson, Sauuel Raines, Brennan Stokes and Tyler Roberts.

For Corner, Tyler McNiese (two), Brayden Rowe (three) and Gage Lisby (two) provided multi-hit games.

The Yellow Jackets entered the postseason as Class 5A, Area 11’s runner-up behind Jasper, and finish the year with an overall record of 21-16.