By Charles Prince

The North Jefferson News



MORRIS — After Monday’s road loss to Walker, Mortimer Jordan’s home game Tuesday with the Vikings was a must-have contest. Jordan head coach Shayne Carnes knew if the Blue Devils were going to have any chance of winning their area, they couldn’t fall two games back with only four games to play. Myrick played a hunch and handed the ball to a sophomore and sent Skylar Myrick to the mound. Myrick responded in a big way as he threw a complete game five-hitter and allowed only one earned run as Jordan won 6-3 to even up the area records for both themselves and the Vikings at 1-1.

“Our backs were to the wall,” Carnes said. “We can’t lose the first two area games to them and expect to have any chance at an area title. Skylar did a great job today. He was throwing three pitches consistently well for strikes.”

The Blue Devils gave Myrick a 2-0 lead after two innings, but Walker responded with a three-run third to grab a one-run lead.

The Vikings used two Jordan errors, two walks, two hits and two stolen bases to fuel the rally, but after rally Walker wouldn’t score again.

After the third inning, Myrick allowed only two hits, both singles and neither runner advanced past first.

“After the third inning, my teammates and coach Carnes were picking me up, telling me to shake it off and just go out and throw strikes,” Myrick said.

Myrick’s fastball, curve and change up found the strike zone time and again Tuesday, as he kept the Viking hitters off balance for most of the contest. He limited Walker to four singles and one double.

“I didn’t feel any pressure starting this game. Coach Carnes told me I’d get to throw a complete game if I kept throwing strikes,” Myrick said. “ It fells great to get such a big win.”

Trailing 3-2 in the bottom of the third inning, the Blue Devils’ bats got going as they answered Walker’s three-run rally with three runs of their own.

Nathan McIntosh, Nick Love and Alan Loggins all singled to load the bases with no outs.

One out later, Lee Smith hit a sacrifice fly to right field to send McIntosh home with the tying-run. Then Ryan Densmore doubled down the left field line, scoring Love.

Loggins then scored when the Vikings outfielder threw to second base instead of home.

Jordan improved to 7-15 overall, but more importantly to 1-1 in area play.

“The bottom line is we had to come out and play well enough to win this game and we did,” Carnes said. “We’ve had lots of confidence in Sklyar the whole year and he came out and did what we asked him to do today.”