Huntland's Evan Keller connects on a pitch during a game Monday against Whitwell High School. Keller had three hits, four RBIs, three stolen bases and a run scored in the 13-2 win.
Huntland's Evan Keller connects on a pitch during a game Monday against Whitwell High School. Keller had three hits, four RBIs, three stolen bases and a run scored in the 13-2 win.
The Huntland High School Hornets beat the Whitwell Tigers 13-2 at home Monday for their third win of the season.
The Hornets jumped ahead in the second inning and pulled away in the sixth to trigger the mercy rule and end the contest slightly early.
Huntland head baseball coach Brent Davis said that his team played well in all three phases during a particularly windy night.
“The pitching was good tonight. We had a few too many walks and pegged batters, but other than that, when they needed it, they put it across the plate and then, in the field, we backed them up,” he said before referring to his team’s offense. “We knew that if we hit it in the air that it wasn’t going to go to very far. We had a couple of good hits taken away and then were able to go ahead and get the win there in the sixth.”
The first runs of the day came in the bottom of the second with the Hornets scoring three times in the frame. Chandler Banks and Evan Keller each hit RBI singles while Daltyn Howell hit into an RBI groundout to make it a 3-0 game early.
The Tigers got their first run on a two-out RBI double in the top of the fifth, but the Hornets got that run back in the bottom of the fifth after Matthew Dickson walked, stole second, moved to third on a groundout from Caleb Maxwell and scored on a wild pitch to put the score at 4-1.
The Tigers capitalized on a throwing error from the Hornets in the top of the sixth to score again and make it a 4-2 game late.
The Hornets then put together a nine-run frame in the bottom of the sixth to fully secure their advantage.
The scoring in the inning included Landon Kerr hitting an RBI single, Dickson drawing a bases-loaded walk, Maxwell contributing a two-run double, Blaine Counts and Kannon Lafevers adding consecutive RBI singles and Keller coming through with a three-run triple to clinch the 11-run victory.
Maxwell pitched the first four innings for the Hornets with two strikeouts, one hit, seven walk and no runs allowed.
Dickson pitched the next inning in relief with one strikeout, two hits, three walks, one earned run and one unearned run allowed.
Counts closed out the game and recorded a save with one inning pitched, one strikeout and no hits or runs allowed.
With the win, the Hornets improved to 3-3 on the season.
They will next play Thursday in a game for the Viking Classic at Community High School. First pitch is scheduled for 2 p.m.
