By Charles Prince

The North Jefferson News



MORRIS — Winning teams find a way to win, even when things aren’t going their way. On Thursday night, the Mortimer Jordan Blue Devils bats weren’t supplying the hits they usually do, as the Devils collected only six hits, but the Jordan batters showed patience at the plate and collected nine walks to add to their hits. Somehow, the Blue Devils pushed seven runs across the plate in the final two innings to overcome a 9-4 deficit, to claim an 11-10 win over Gardendale.

“When we were down 6-0 early in the game, I thought we might fold,” Mortimer Jordan head coach Shayne Carnes said. “You have to give our kids credit for not giving up and hanging in there and trying to battle. Our only goal at that point, was just get back in the ball game. I was feeling pretty good about our chances at 6-4, but then the Gardendale kid (Andrew Busby) hits a three-run bomb I thought it might have been over, but for the first time this year, our kids made something happen when they had to after getting behind.”

After Busby’s homer gave Gardendale a five-run cushion, the Devils walked their way into a 9-all tie in the fifth inning. Jordan used five walks, two errors and a wild pitch to send home five runs.

Then in the bottom of the sixth, Jordan took an 11-9 lead. Alan Loggins lead off and was reached base when he was hit by a pitch. John “Jabo” Burrow then singled to give the Devils two on with no outs. Skylar Myrick then bunted, but a Gardendale throwing error into left field allowed Loggins and Burrow to both score.

In the top of the seventh, Gardendale got one run off the Nathan McIntosh, but Joey Payton took the mound and after getting the second out on a sacrifice fly, recorded the third out on a strikeout to end the game.

“I’m glad Joey Payton is a friend of mine,” McIntosh said. “He came in and got those last two outs to save my butt, after I let those base runners get on.”

Gardendale took the early lead when Adam Erwin hit a two-run homer in the first, followed by Conner McCain’s solo homer to give the Rockets a 4-0 lead after half an inning.

After Gardendale went up 6-0 in the second inning, the Devils answered with four runs in the bottom of the frame.

Loggins singled lead off the inning, then two outs later, Lee Smith walked, followed by Payton’s single. An error allowed two runs to score, followed by a two-run double by Nick Love.

Gardendale then pushed the lead to 9-4 on Busby’s homer in the third. However, the Jordan pitchers began to take control, as they allowed only one hit over the final four innings.

Gardendale starter David Roberts took the loss.

For Jordan, Smith started, but threw only one inning, followed by Myrick with four innings of work before McIntosh came in for 1 1/3 innings, followed by Payton, who recorded the final two outs.

Jordan improved to 6-10, while Gardendale slipped to 5-6.

Both clubs will play in tournaments next week over the spring break from school, and then the will begin area play the following week.

“Our records not very good right now,” Carnes said. “But this is a big win. If we can play well in the tournament next week, maybe we can get some things going for us heading into area play. That’s when things really count. It’s not how the start the season that matters, it’s how you finish and what you do in your area that gets you in the postseason.”