Wolverines Open Region Play Against Eagles

By EDDY GIFFORD
Sports Writer

The Dade County High School Wolverine baseball team was busy last week with three games in four days as they continue to get ready for region games that started this week with a three-game series with the Coosa Eagles.

On Tuesday, Feb. 25, the Wolverines traveled to Ridgeland to face the Panthers. The Wolverines retired in order in the top of the first inning, but the Panthers scored seven runs in the bottom of the first inning on five hits and a pair of Wolverine errors to take the early lead.

The Wolverines responded in the top of the second inning with four runs on two hits, three walks and an error by Ridgeland to cut the lead to 7-4.

The Panthers would then score three runs in the bottom of the second to go up 10-4 and then add five more in the bottom of the third to build the lead to 15-4.

Dade County managed a run in the top of the fourth, but Ridgeland added two in the bottom of the fourth to go up 17-5. The Wolverines scored two more in the top fifth, but the game ended on the run rule with the Panthers taking an easy 17-7 win.

Nic Moreland led Dade with one hit and one RBI; River McBryar with one hit and one run scored; Parker Hill with one hit and one run scored; and Graysen Stinnett with one hit and two RBI’s.

Parker Hill took the loss, pitching two innings and giving up three earned runs on six hits.

TB: Stinnett 1, Moreland 1, Hill 1, McBryar 1
HBP: Moreland
E: McBryar 2, Cain, Hubbard, Jordon, Moreland
Pitching: HBP: Hill
Pitches-Strikes: Hill 50-29; Wright 40-14; Owens 24-15
Batters Faced: Hill 18, Wright 10, Owens 7

On Thursday, Feb. 27, Dade County played its first home game of the season by hosting the Murray County Indians.

The Indians took the early lead with three first inning runs and added two in the top of the second to lead 5-0.

The Wolverines got on the board in the bottom of the first inning on one hit and a Murray County error to cut the lead to 5-1.

After a scoreless third Dade clawed its way back in the game with a run in the fourth and another in the fifth to cut the Indian lead to 5-3 heading into the sixth inning.

In the top of the sixth the wheels ran off for the Wolverines as the Indians scored seven big runs to increase their lead to 12-3. They would add another run in the top of the seventh and claim an easy 13-3 win over the Wolverines.

The Wolverines managed just four hits in the game, one each by Kaiden Hubbard, Jake Harris, McBryar, and Levi Jordon.

Gavin Wright took the loss pitching five innings giving up four earned runs and striking out three.

2B: Harris
TB: Harris 2, Hubbard 1, Jordon 1, McBryar 1
HBP: Jordon
SF: Jordon
CS: McBryar
E: Harris 5, Jordon 2
Pitching:
WP: Wright
HBP: Wright 2
Pitches-Strikes: Wright 96-52; Rogers 22-10; Bradford 30-16
Batters Faced: Wright 30, Rogers 7, Bradford 6

On Friday, Feb. 28, the Wolverines traveled to Higdon, Ala., to face the North Sand Mountain Bison in what turned out to be a really good game by both teams.

Dade County took the lead in the top of the first inning with a single run, but the Bison responded in the bottom of the first with a run of their own to tie the game 1-1.

After a scoreless second inning NSM took the lead with two big runs in the bottom of the third for a 3-1 lead.

Another scoreless inning in the fourth before the Wolverines pushed across three runs in the top of the fifth to take the lead 4-3.

In the bottom of the sixth the Bison pushed across two runs to regain the lead, 5-4 and then held on in the top of the seventh, shutting out Dade to claim the hard fought 5-4 win.

Hubbard led the Wolverines with one hit, one run scored and one RBI while Harris had one hit and one RBI, and Stinnett had one hit while Kaiden Owens had one run scored and one RBI.

Hubbard pitched three strong innings, giving up two earned runs and four hits while striking out four. Hill took the loss by giving up no earned runs.

NSM were led by Carson Harvey and Brayton Johnson with two RBI’s each while Johnson, Mikey Poss, Landon Keller, Levi Burgess, and Jackson Burgess all had hits.

The Bison also got strong pitching from Poss who pitched four innings giving up two earned runs while Johnson pitched two scoreless innings and Harvey picked up the save pitching one scoreless inning.

TB: Stinnett 1, Harris 1, Hubbard 1
CS: Stinnett, Hubbard
E: Harris
Pitching: HBP: Hubbard
Pitches-Strikes: Hill 69-33; Hill 47-21
Batters Faced: Hubbard 18, Hill 14

This week the Wolverines began region play when they hosted the Coosa Eagles on Tuesday, March 4. Dade travels to Coosa on Thursday, March 6 and then will host the Eagles on Friday, March 7. All three games start at 5:30 p.m.

Next week DCHS will face the Chattooga Indians in a three-game series.