Walkoff gives Estep 600
Harrison Warren’s eighth-inning single plated the tying and winning runs Saturday as Columbia Academy picked up an 8-7 walk-off victory over visiting Grace Christian, the 600th for veteran coach Richie Estep.
CA led 6-2 behind Kavares Tears, who struck out nine over six innings, but the Lions rallied for four runs in the seventh.
Spencer Fields had three hits for the Bulldogs, with Jacob Perry matching Tears’ two hits. Jacob Wair recorded the final two outs on the mound and picked up the win.
Grace Christian won the second game of the doubleheader, 8-7.
◆ Columbia Acad. 10, Fairview 0: The host Bulldogs scored in each of their six at-bats Friday. Damon Toombs went 3-for-4, with Fields and Tears each adding a pair of hits — including a third-inning solo home run for Tears.
◆ Spring Hill 5, Fayetteville 0: Connor Gaia struck out seven and allowed one hit over five innings Friday as the Raiders won on the road. Jackson Marbet had three hits, with a triple and two doubles, and closed out the victory with a scoreless inning of relief.
◆ Ravenwood 9, Columbia Central 1: The visiting Lions managed just two hits in Thursday’s non-district loss. Caden Cameron put Central ahead with a third-inning sacrifice fly to score Lincoln English, but the Raptors answered with three runs in the bottom of the inning off starter Bryce Symlar, tacked on a pair in the fourth and broke the game open with a four-run sixth. Jaden Hamm doubled and Stanton Bell added a base hit for the Lions.
◆ Columbia Acad. 7, Riverdale 6: A four-run rally in the seventh inning, capped by Abbigail Adkins’ score on a double-steal attempt, gave CA a road win Thursday. Adkins doubled home Karley Harakas with the game-tying run, following a Tori Duval RBI triple. Duval went 3-for-4 with three RBIs and a pair of runs, leading the Lady Bulldogs’ 10-hit attack, with Journey Mitchell striking out six in two scoreless innings of relief for the win.
◆ Zion Chr. 11, Fayetteville 6: Ella Fox and Caroline Fox each went 3-for-4 with two runs and an RBI Thursday to spark the Lady Eagles offensively. Zion led 2-1 early, but scored eight runs in the bottom of the sixth to come back from a 6-3 deficit.
◆ Zion Chr. 17, Franklin Road Chr. 1: Caroline Fox’s 4-for-4, four-run, four-RBI day spearheaded the Lady Eagles’ 19-hit outburst at home Friday. Fox had one of Zion’s three home runs, along with Kathryn Kennedy (3-for-3, two runs, three RBIs) and Rebecca Hazard (four RBIs).
◆ Zion Chr. 13-8, Santa Fe 3-1: Shelby Rector doubled to give the visiting Lady Wildcats a two-run lead in their opening at-bat Saturday, but four runs in the bottom of the first inning set the tone for the hosts. Ella Fox, Caroline Fox and Kathryn Kennedy each had three hits for Zion. In the second game of the doubleheader, Kennedy and Caroline Fox (triple) each had a pair of hits.