Huge offensive sequence ranks Corner 3rd in NJN Top-10
The North Jefferson News is taking some time this summer to look back at the biggest moments of the 2016-17 high school sports season. Starting at No. 10 and ending at No. 1, a top-10 list of local highlights will unfold—one at a time—throughout the summer months.
Coming in at No. 3 in the NJN Top-10 Sports Moments of 2016-17 is a remarkable string of offense from the Corner baseball team. On March 28, 2017 at the Orange Beach Sports Complex, Brayden Rowe, Ethan Creel and Gage Lisby teamed up for back-to-back-to-back home runs in a spring break win over Vernon Hills (Ill.).
It was unlike anything the trio had ever experienced on a baseball diamond, and regardless of how far their playing days carry into the future, they likely won’t see it again.
The three consecutive blasts started with Rowe, who connected with his only home run of the season that day. Creel, who squared up two of his three total home runs that afternoon, followed him up. And Lisby made it three in-a-row with a low-flying shot into left-center field—one of his two total home runs on the year.
“It was crazy. I guess we were just seeing the ball good that day… really good,” said Creel.
Looking back on that 8-2 win over the Cougars, Creel remembers facing an ‘average’ pitcher.
That string of home runs came in the top of the third inning with the score even at 1-1. From there, Corner ran off with two more runs in the fourth and another pair in the sixth to earn an 8-2 win.
“When I came up I was just thinking, ‘Well, I’m just going to try to get on base,’” said Lisby, who struck the third and final dinger of the inning. “My goal was just to get on base and help the team. It was low when I hit it but I guess it just kept carrying, so I was sprinting around first, not even looking, and everyone told me to slow down, so I knew it was over.”
Choreographed handshakes, chest bumps and congratulations found Lisby in the visitors’ dugout shortly thereafter.
“After I hit mine, everybody was getting hyped in the dugout,” said Rowe. “The next pitch that he threw Creel he took it and as soon as it came off the bat, we knew that it was gone, so we went even crazier. When Gage [lisby] put his out, we didn’t know what to do.”
The Yellow Jackets would go on to nab four wins during spring break play and later ended the season with a 9-1 home win over Parker on April 17.
NJN Top-10 standings
#3 Jackets go back-to-back-to-back
#4 The Drive in Driver Stadium
#5 Pinson Valley nabs first-ever win over Clay-Chalkville
#6 Busby looks back on a dominant region title
#7 Mortimer Jordan girls make historic climb
#8 Fultondale softball goes viral
#9 Crowder shines in Gardendale’s first 7A win
#10 Peters’ last-second jumper woke a “natural rivalry”
Erik Harris is the Sports Editor of The North Jefferson News. Email him at njnsports@gmail.com or follow him on Twitter @jeharris2.