TPS-MA: Eagles no match for Wildcats in Trinity sweep
Judson Lindsey can’t handle a bad hop in MA’s loss to Trinity on Friday. (Tim Gayle)
By TIM GAYLE
After beating Montgomery Academy 11-1 on Thursday and having an earlier start time for a Friday doubleheader, Trinity coach Jarrod Cook wasn’t sure whether his players would come to Whittle-Armstrong Field with the right frame of mind.
“With the 12 o’clock start time, it’s absolutely in my mind,” he said. “I’m sure the guys were excited to get out of class.”
The Wildcats scored a run in the first and 10 more in the second to defeat the Eagles 12-0 in a 3A Area 6 game limited to five innings by the mercy rule. Trinity also won (8-1) the second game, which counts as a tiebreaker in the area standings.
“We talk a lot about mental preparation, understanding that this game is 90 percent mental, and the team that comes well prepared, mentally and physically, is going to be the team that comes out with a win,” Cook said. “On that front, I was very pleased with our at-bats and how clean we were in the field. We’ve got seven seniors, so it’s on them to lead and lead the right way and they’re taking ownership of that as well.”
The Eagles, as they have for much of the season, struggled in the field with four errors in the first game and five in the second game. The first wave of errors, which came early in both games, opened the door for big innings by the Wildcats.
Trinity (17-3) improved to 2-0 in area play heading into next week’s area series with Catholic (1-1). Montgomery Academy (6-8) fell to 0-2 in area play heading into next week’s area series with Prattville Christian (1-1).
Not surprisingly, Trinity controlled the series with a strong effort from its pitching staff. Coleman Stanley pitched a two hitter in Thursday’s win and Ben Easterling followed on Friday with a four hitter, with two of the hits coming in the seventh inning after the game had long been decided.
In the second Friday game, Fleming Hall pitched 4.1 innings of shutout ball, allowing three hits while striking out six and walking two. Walker McClinton pitched the final 2.2 innings, allowing just two hits.
“It’s just about us going out and competing in the strike zone,” Cook said. “And we did that, for the most part. We had a few lapses here and there, but you go out and throw pitches in the zone and good things are going to happen.
“We’re fortunate enough to have some depth and have guys with a lot of experience and being in these types of games. We’re still working through some things. Even in a relief role, we’re still looking for the right matchups and guys to come in and get the job done, but I’m really proud of the guys and the way we came out today.”
In the first game on Friday, Brady Rascoll went 3 for 3 with an RBI, Jordan Jenkins went 2 for 3 with an RBI and Hall went 2 for 2 with a walk. David Michael Lieux added an RBI double and Grayson Ashe drove in a pair of runs.
Parker Cook with 2 for 2 with a double and a walk to lead Montgomery Academy.
In the second game, Simmons Byrd went 3 for 4 and Wesley Stallings went 2 for 3 with an RBI to lead the Wildcats.
Bray Renfroe went 2 for 3 with a pair of singles to lead Montgomery Academy.
Trinity will play host to Stanhope Elmore on Tuesday at 4 p.m., while Montgomery Academy will play host to Greenville on Monday at 4:30 p.m.