FCA/SPRING ROUNDUP: Pike tops LAMP; Elmore County wins over Carver

Action from the FCA Tournament featuring Pike Road and LAMP as well as St. James on Wednesday. (Eddie Olszewski)

COMBINED REPORTS

It wasn’t very pretty in the beginning.

Pike Road had a played picked off base that erased a potential run in the first inning and allowed a LAMP runner to score from second base on an infield single in the third. First-year coach Allen Ponder finally called a timeout and summoned his players to the mound for a brief lecture on fundamentals.

“There’s going to be growing pains throughout the entire season,” Ponder said. “We’ve played really well up to this point but we’re still in the process of teaching these guys to play baseball. The good thing about it is these kids are extremely coachable. They want to get better, they want to be good at baseball. It’s been a lot of fun so far.”

Pike Road, with a little help from LAMP, got back on track with four runs in the third and five runs in the fifth to defeat the Golden Tigers 11-3 in the 28th annual FCA Jason Armstrong Memorial Baseball Tournament at Paterson Field on Wednesday afternoon.

LAMP pounded out consecutive two-out hits by Landon Lockwood, Grayson Hall, Junseo Park and Oliver Stephens in the third inning to score three runs and take a 3-1 lead, but the Golden Tigers were retired in order over the final three innings in a game shortened to six innings to comply with tournament time constraints.

Pike Road (8-0), meanwhile, used four walks and a hit batter by Stephens, the LAMP starter, and reliever Josh Donaldson to take control of the game with four runs in the bottom of the third.

“In the first two or three innings, their pitcher did a really good job slowing the ball down,” Ponder said. “We sped up. We did not do a good job of making adjustments. But I was very proud of the way we made those adjustments in the fourth, fifth and sixth innings and started finding some barrels.”

Pike Road starter Clay Slagle allowed only a first-inning single to Park while striking out three in two innings of work. Reliever Chael Kerr gave up three runs and four hits in two innings, while Lucas Baggett struck out four of the six batters he faced in no-hit relief in the final two innings. 

“A point of emphasis has been to pound the (strike) zone and let our defense play,” Ponder said. “I thought Clay did an outstanding job. Chael was a little shaky in inning one (of relief) but I was very proud of the way he rebounded in inning two and came out and pounded the zone. And then Lucas has done a good job of throwing strikes all year long and with him being a sidearm guy, as long as he stays down in the zone, good things happen for him.”

Pike Road will face Billingsley on Thursday at Paterson Field at 2 p.m. in the FCA tournament before heading to Troy for a tournament this weekend. LAMP will take Thursday off and return to action in the FCA tournament on Friday at Riverwalk Stadium at 6 p.m.

Elmore County 7, G.W. Carver 6 (6 inn.)

Payton Hall’s two-run single in the fifth inning capped a comeback for the Panthers in the 28th FCA Jason Armstrong Memorial Baseball Classic at Riverwalk Stadium on Wednesday.

Carver took the lead on a Monte Davis two-run single as part of a six-run third inning.  Bradon Smitherman, Jamar Green and Jason Baisley each had singles and a run scored for the Wolverines.

The Panthers’ Payton Stephenson and Brody Ward had two hits apiece. Stephenson scored three times and also walked. Cole Downey had a run-scoring double and a single for the Panthers.

Cooper Rogers came in relief in the second inning for Elmore County to pick up the win. He finished with five strikeouts.

Smitherman started for Carver and pitched four-plus innings, giving up two runs and striking out four.

Elmore County will play Montgomery Academy on Thursday at Paterson Field.

Brewbaker Tech 4, R.E. Lee 4 (6 inn.)

Austin Yelder had two hits including a double and drove in two runs for the Generals, who came back for a tie in the Jason Armstrong FCA tourney Wednesday at Riverwalk Stadium.

Dee Bonner had two hits with a double for Lee. Justin Slater had two hits and a run batted in for Brew Tech.

Brew Tech plays again on Friday against Prattville Christian at Paterson Field. 

Stanhope Elmore 7, St. James 5 (9)

The Mustangs remained unbeaten this season with two runs in the top of the ninth to edge the Trojans 7-5 in the FCA Jason Armstrong Memorial Tournament at Paterson Field on Wednesday.

The Trojans’ game with Elmore County was rained out on Tuesday and the Panthers had a Wednesday afternoon game, so Stanhope Elmore was added to the tournament lineup on Wednesday. 

St. James (2-6) returns to action in the tournament on Thursday at Riverwalk Stadium against Chilton County at 4 p.m.

Macon East Academy 15, Lakeside School 0

CECIL -- Matthew Kitchens pitched three innings of shutout ball as the Knights opened AA Region 1 Area 1 play with a run-rule victory over Lakeside School on Wednesday.

Kitchens needed just 35 pitches to take care of the Chiefs, striking out four and getting the shutout on the mound. The Macon East offense had just four hits but drew eight walks and was hit by a pitch five times in the victory.

Macon East (5-4) returns to action on Thursday in the annual Border Wars Tournament, playing Hardaway High of Columbus, Ga., at 1 p.m. (CST) at Golden Park.

SOFTBALL 

Macon East Academy 14, Lakeside School 5

CECIL -- Georgia Blaze went 4 for 5 with three singles and a double as part of a 14-hit attack that finished off the Chiefs in the AA Region 1 Area 1 opener for both teams on Wednesday.

Blaze drove in a run in the first and Taylor McKinney homered in the second before the Knights added seven more runs in the third with the help of doubles by Blaze and McKinney and a single by Kadence Ward.

McKinney started the game in the circle for the Knights, but was replaced by Ward after the Chiefs rallied with four runs in the fourth inning. McKinney allowed seven hits and five runs in 3.2 innings while striking out six. Ward pitched the remaining 3.1 innings, striking out three, walking one and allowing just three hits in shutout relief.

In addition to Blaze and McKinney, Ward and Kylee Smith had multiple hits in the game.

Macon East will travel to a tournament at Glenwood this weekend.

 BOYS TENNIS

Montgomery Academy 9, Eufaula 0

The Eagles swept their section opponent 9-0 in a match at Lagoon Park on Wednesday.

Singles winners for MA were Hamilton Chapman, Whit Davis, Guy Hughes, John Alford, Charlie Hill and Jackson Brown. Doubles winners were Chapman-Davis, Hughes-Gaines Freeman and Alford-Brown. 

MA is back in action on Thursday vs. Hillcrest-Tuscaloosa.  

STATE BASKETBALL TOURNEY

Class 2A Boys Semifinals: Midfield 81, Calhoun 77

BIRMINGHAM – Despite 45 points from senior JD Davison, the Calhoun Tigers will not repeat as state champions.

Demarriee Jones scored 30 poitns and teammate Anthony Johnson added 23 to lift Midfield past Calhoun, 81-77, in the Class 2A state semifinals at the Birmingham CrossPlex Bill Harris Arena on Wednesday.

Davison, playing his final game of his decorated high school career, had 18 of 28 field goal attempts and added 9-of-13 free throws. He had a game-high 13 rebounds and two assists.

Midfield advances with the win to face Lanett Saturday at 11:30 a.m., in the Class 1A championship game at Bill Harris Arena. Calhoun finishes 16-8.

Class 6A girls Final: Hazel Green 49, G.W. Carver 41

BIRMINGHAM – Hazel Green earned its fourth straight state title with a 49-41 win over G.W. Carver on Wednesday at the UAB Bartow Arena.

Former Jeff Davis coach Tim Miller became the first coach to lead a school in the highest classification (6A or 7A) to four straight titles.

Trinity Thomas and Alliyaha Ellis finished with 12 and 10 points respectively while Breanna Rhodes added nine points for Carver (16-5).

MVP Samiya Steele led Hazel Green with 18 points.Rhodes and Mya Barnes were named to the all-tournament team.