Wolverines Drop Two to Coosa
By EDDY GIFFORD
Sports Writer
The Dade County High School Wolverine baseball team traveled to Coosa High School on Tuesday, March 14, for the first game of their second three game region series of the season.
The Wolverines had a big first inning, scoring six runs to take a commanding lead over the Eagles.
Photo by Eddy Gifford – The Wolverines’ Jake Harris makes a big play at third base last week against the Coosa Eagles. Dade County won the first game of the three-game series at Coosa but then dropped the final two games, one at home and the other one at Coosa. No region games are scheduled this week but the team traveled to South Pittsburg, Tenn., and hosted them on Tuesday. The Wolverines travel to Red Bank, Tenn., on Friday.
Coosa responded with a run in the bottom of the first and then added two more in the bottom of the third to cut Dade’s lead in half, 6-3.
The Wolverines responded in the fourth with a run and then pushed across three big runs in the top of the sixth to go up 10-3.
The Eagles did not quit, however, and rallied for four runs in the bottom of the sixth to cut Dade’s lead to 10-7.
It was a scoreless seventh inning, and the Wolverines came away with a hard fought 10-7 win on the road.
Dade County pounded out 13 hits, led by Landon Williams with three hits and a pair of RBIs. Picking up two hits each for the Wolverines were Jax Guinn, Halen Chaney, and Braydan Jones who also had three RBIs.
Mason Gatlin picked up the win pitching 6.2 innings giving up seven hits, seven runs, walking five, and striking out eight.
In the second game of the series, the Eagles traveled to Trenton on Thursday, March 16.
Coosa took the early lead, scoring a pair of runs in the top of the first inning and then shutting down the Wolverines to lead 2-0 after one inning of play.
The Eagles came in with hot bats and scored four more runs in the top of the second to take a big 6-0 lead over Dade County.
The Wolverine bats were cold and went hitless through the first three innings. Meanwhile the Eagles added another run in the third to go up 7-0.
Coosa continued to hit the ball and scored four runs in the top of the fourth to take a commanding 11-0 lead.
The Wolverines were unable to score in the fourth or fifth innings and the game was called on the run rule with the Eagles coming away with a big 11-0 win Dade.
Bryson Swader led the Wolverines with two hits while Guinn took the loss and River McBryar pitched the final 2.1 innings.
For the third game of the series, the Wolverines traveled back to Coosa on Saturday after the game was rescheduled because of weather on Friday.
The Eagles took the lead in the bottom of the first inning, pushing across a pair of runs after the Wolverines failed to score in the top half of the inning to go up 2-0.
Dade was held at bay again by the Coosa pitchers and fell behind 5-0 in the third innings when the Eagles added two more runs.
That would be all the scoring until the top of the sixth inning when the Wolverines scored a single run, their first in 10 innings, but still trailed the Eagles 5-1. Coosa then added a run of their own in the bottom of the sixth to go up 6-1.
The Wolverines were unable to score in the top of the seventh, and the Eagles picked up the win, 6-1 and took the series two games to one.
Williams again led the Wolverine bats with a pair of hits.
Jake Harris pitched six innings and took the loss, giving up five runs on six hits, walking three and striking out four. Williams pitched one inning giving up one run on one hit and three walks.
The Wolverines get a break from region action this week. They traveled to South Pittsburg, Tenn., on Monday and hosted the Pirates on Tuesday. They will travel to Red Bank, Tenn., on Friday for a 5:30 p.m., game.
Next week, region play resumes when they host Darlington on Tuesday, March 28 at 5 p.m., travel to Darlington on Thursday and them play them again on Friday at home.