Devils tame Tigers to win holiday doubleheader
By Robert Carter
The North Jefferson News
OAK GROVE — On a sunny but breezy Opening Day, Mortimer Jordan took the wind out of the home team’s sails.
The Blue Devils overcame a four-run game-tying rally in the third inning of the first game to win 11-6, then blasted away with a seven-run first inning in the second game to score a 12-2 victory in five innings on the opening day of the high school baseball season.
It was a scrappy effort in the first game, which included a straight steal of home plate by senior Clint Brown in the seventh inning. That play may be an indication of things to come for the Devils this season.
“We just try to take advantage of the opportunities put before us,” coach Shayne Carnes said. “I had planned on doing that a couple of innings before. Their pitcher had a slow delivery, and I thought we had some guys that could pull it off.”
Brown scored the first Jordan run in the first when he singled, then advanced on two passed balls, scoring on the latter. James Stewart walked and Lee Smith reached on an error, and both scored on Austin Nabors’ single.
After the Tigers scored two runs on a pair of hits in the bottom of the first, Stewart scored starting pitcher Jesse Stanley on a single in the second inning.
Ryan Densmore opened the third on a double, then scored on another double by Trey Higginbotham, who himself came in on a Taylor Williams hit to put Jordan up 6-2.
But Oak Grove then touched the Devils up for four runs in the third, capped off by right fielder Christian Harper’s triple. Harper then scored on a Devin McCarty hit to tie the game.
The Devils took the lead again for good when the Tigers’ pitching fell apart in the fourth, as Skylar Myrick scored on a walk, an error, a hit batsman and another walk.
Jordan struck again in the fifth with three runs that came home on two hits and two Tiger errors. Brown’s stolen home scored the final run.
Myrick picked up the win for the Devils in relief, taking over for Stanley in the fourth inning. He struck out four and allowed just two hits in four innings’ work. Stanley struck out five, and only two of his six runs were earned.
In the nightcap, the Devils opened up an early barrage, scoring seven runs in the first inning to take control from the start.
Lee Smith (1-0) got the win, giving up only a two-run homer in four innings. Davis Mason had one inning of relief.
Smith was also 2-4 at the plate, and Brown was 2-3.
Jordan hosts Curry in a doubleheader Thursday at 4:30, then plays two at Cleveland on Friday afternoon at 5.