Shayne Carnes’ gamble didn’t pay off Tuesday morning.

Down 7-3 to homestanding Hoover in the bottom of the sixth inning, the Mortimer Jordan coach took out starting pitcher James Stewart and inserted young reliever Mason Davis.

The move did not work out, as Mason gave up six runs, including a three-run walk-off homer that end the game on the 10-run rule.

The 13-3 win by the Buccaneers came in a 9 a.m. game in the Hoover Spring Break Tournament, an odd schedule forced by rained-out games on the first day of play Monday.

The game is the first of three on the day for the Blue Devils. They face Madison Academy in an 11:30 game, then take on Hillcrest-Tuscaloosa at 5 p.m.

We’ll have the full story on the Devils in Wednesday’s North Jefferson News.

Robert Carter