MONDAY PREPS: LAMP celebrates Military with win over MA; St. James softball gets area win
LAMP shortstop Grayson Hall misses the tag on Judson Lindsey in the Tigers’ win over MA on Monday. (Tim Gayle)
By TIM GAYLE
It was Military Appreciation Day at LAMP on Monday afternoon and Golden Tiger coach Frank Parsons was not only appreciative of the local veterans but for his team’s focus and determination in turning back Montgomery Academy 8-2.
“The guys played well, they stayed within themselves and kept pressure on them the entire game,” Parsons said. “We generated some offense and pitched several different guys -- needed a couple of good innings (from each) -- and they came through.”
LAMP (10-8) has now won two straight after going through a seven-game slide that threatened to derail the season.
“We had some challenges,” Parsons admitted. “We’ve not done some of those (fundamental) things but it’s caused us to grow. Sometimes, you learn who’s on your team and what they’re made of when things go south. We had a stretch where it didn’t look like we were a baseball team. But we’ve got area play coming up and hopefully we’ll peak at the right time.”
Montgomery Academy (6-5) has now dropped two straight, looking similar to the way the Golden Tigers were playing a week ago. The Eagles allowed a pair of unearned runs in each of the first two innings with four errors that settled the outcome early and an offense that looked as if it was still on spring break.
“Regardless of whether we’re practicing or playing, our focus and energy and effort (has to be there),” Montgomery Academy coach Stephen Vosel said. “You have no choice, this is what we do. And it was not there today.
“I felt like we were just going through the motions. There toward the end, I felt like we started focusing a little more defensively and we started hitting the ball a little bit, but you can’t just flip a switch. Today, we did not take care of what we can control.”
Each team faces huge area battles at the end of the week, so Monday’s game featured nine pitchers as both coaches went with a staff approach instead of sticking with a starter. LAMP strung together three consecutive RBI hits -- a single by Grayson Hall, a double by Will Romanowski and a two-run single by Andrew Lutz -- to extend the lead to 8-0 in the fourth.
Romanowski was 3 for 4 with three RBIs and Oliver Stephens reached base in all three plate appearances to lead the Golden Tigers.
Luke Nelson and Parker Cook had back-to-back singles in the sixth, along with a fielding error, that allowed Montgomery Academy to avoid the shutout. Cook went 2 for 2 and reached base in all three plate appearances to lead the Eagles.
And while Parsons didn’t get the crowd he was hoping for, he was grateful for the appearance of several members of the Vietnam Veterans of America chapter 607 that contributed financially to the improvements made on LAMP’s home field, including the team’s scoreboard.
As a gesture of their appreciation, the LAMP players and coaches decorated the field with American flags and gave the venue a patriotic theme for Monday’s event.
“Those that came appreciated it,” Parsons said. “They know we acknowledge their service and their gift to this country. You dream it up, you want folks here, to feel warm and fuzzy and appreciated, but we’ve got to hit the ball (to win and make the event special). It was good to get ahead. For everyone to take a deep breath and just enjoy playing baseball.”
Montgomery Academy opens 3A Area 6 play this week, playing host to Trinity on Thursday at Bowen Field at 4:30 p.m. before traveling to Whittle-Armstrong Field for a doubleheader on Friday at noon.
LAMP (0-2 in 4A Area 3 play) plays host to Alabama Christian on Thursday at Paterson Field at 4 p.m. before traveling to the AUM Baseball Complex to play the Eagles in a Friday doubleheader starting at 4 p.m.
The first two games count in the area standings while the third game in the series serves as a tiebreaker in case the two teams finish tied in the area standings at the end of the regular season.
BASEBALL
Macon East Academy 8, Autauga Academy 2
PRATTVILLE -- Macon East scored five runs in the top of the seventh to break open a tight game in an 8-2 win over the Generals on Monday afternoon.
The game was a rematch of the three-game semifinal playoff series won by Autauga last year at Macon East and Monday’s game lived up to expectations as the two teams battled evenly through the first six innings.
Bryant Rascoll’s line drive to right field drove in a pair of runs in the top of the first to give the Knights the early lead and another run scored on a wild pitch for a 3-0 lead.
Lake Barber finally put the Generals on the scoreboard in the fourth inning with a solo home run over the right field fence and the Generals added another run in the sixth to pull within 3-2 before the Knights finally put the game out of reach in the seventh.
Rascoll went 3 for 3 with a walk and a pair of RBIs, while Luke Noffsinger went 2 for 3 with a stolen base. Jack Jones, Gunner Justice, Dalton Nickles and Hunter Timmerman all added a hit to extend Macon East’s winning streak to 12 consecutive games.
Deonte Powell picked up the win, pitching the first six innings and allowing just a pair of earned runs with six hits and a walk while striking out seven. Timmerman pitched the seventh, retiring the Generals in order with a pair of strikeouts.
Macon East (22-2) will travel to Hooper Academy on Thursday.
Alabama Christian Academy 12, Catholic 11
Alabama Christian rallied late to defeat Catholic 12-11 in a shootout at Catholic on Monday.
Hayes Hunt pitched the sixth and seventh innings to pick up the win, allowing just two hits while striking out three.
Hunt was also productive at the plate, going 3 for 5 with a double and an RBI, while Isaac Warrick and Carson Horn both went 2 for 3 with an RBI and Thomas Stovall went 1 for 3 and drove in three runs.
Landon Nelson went 2 for 5 and drove in a run, JT Moorer went 1 for 4 and drove in a pair of runs and Trey Schlemmer went 1 for 5 with a triple and an RBI.
Alabama Christian (10-8) opens 4A Area 3 play on Thursday with a game against LAMP on Thursday at Paterson Field at 4:30 p.m. before hosting the Golden Tigers in a Friday doubleheader at the AUM Baseball Complex at 4 p.m.
St. James 13, Brewbaker Tech 3 (6)
The Trojans smashed 13 hits, including the first home run of the season by Clint Shores, and two pitchers combined on a five hitter as Saint James improved to 14-4 with a 13-3 win at home on Monday.
The Rams took an early lead with a pair of one-out doubles by Machari Parker and Hayden Ulrich. Saint James responded with three runs in the bottom of the first and never looked back. Shaun Bridges, who had three hits in the first three innings, led off with a double. Ethan Beard reached on an error allowing the first run to score. After a fly out, Clint Shores walked and stole second, with Beard scoring on the throw. Carter Carroll then doubled in Shores for the 3-1 lead.
The Trojans added five more runs in the bottom of the second. Adam Garnett and Bridges singled. A Beard single knocked in the first run and Foster Rasmussen followed up with a single to score Bridges. Beard would score on an error, and the Rams replaced starter Hayden Ulrich with Daniel Phillips, who gave up a full count home run to Shores for the fourth and fifth runs of the inning.
Saint James added one in the third on an RBI single by Beard. Brew Tech added a pair of runs in the top of the fifth on a Mylhah Wilson double and an error before the Trojans ended the game early by scoring four runs in the bottom of the sixth inning on a single hit. Foster Rasmussen's bases-loaded fielders choice knocked in the final run.
Emmett Rasmussen pitched the final 1.1 innings for the victory.
Saint James travels for a Tuesday game in Andalusia, and then returns home Thursday to start an area series against BTW-Tuskegee.
BOYS TENNIS
Montgomery Academy 9, St. James 0
Montgomery Academy swept the Trojans in singles and doubles in a well-played match by both teams at McLemore Tennis Center on Monday.
Whit Davis, Charlie Hill, Guy Hughes, John Alford, Jackson Brown and Gaines Freeman won singles matches, while the doubles teams of Davis-Hughes, Hill-Ron Sharma and Alford-Brown won as well.
Montgomery Academy (12-1) will play host to Trinity Presbyterian School on Tuesday.
SOFTBALL
St. James 9, Alabama Christian 1
Emily Needham struck out nine in five innings of work to give the Trojans a 9-1 win over Alabama Christian in area play on Monday.
Emerson Hagen picked up the save, pitching the final two innings.
Tat Shuford was 2 for 4, scoring a pair of runs and driving in three more to lead the Trojans, while Peyton Dees also had a pair of hits.
St. James plays Catholic at home on Wednesday and Holtville at home on Thursday.