Rebels blast Harvest Christian

PORTSMOUTH — South Gallia baseball moved back over the .500 mark on the season Tuesday night with a convincing 11-2 victory over host Harvest Christian Academy during a non-conference matchup.

The Rebels (7-6) never trailed in the contest, jumping out to a 2-0 advantage after one complete inning. HCA countered with two scores in the bottom of the third to knot things up at two, but SGHS blew the game wide open in the fourth with four scores for a 6-2 cushion.

The Rebels tacked on five insurance runs in the seventh, helping round out the nine-run decision.

South Gallia knocked out 10 hits in the triumph, with nine different players contributing at least one of those safeties. Chris Fooce led the way with two hits, followed by Zach Haislop, Brandon Harrison, Cory Haner, B.J. Stanley, Heath White, Jacob Dotson, Danny Matney and Nick Lyon with one each.

Stanley had a team-high three RBIs, thanks in large part to a two-run homer in the first inning.

Haislop was the winning pitcher of record, allowing six hits and zero walks over six innings while striking out 11. Falls took the loss for the hosts.

SGHS committed only one error in the triumph, in comparison to six by Harvest Christian Academy. The game was called after six innings due to darkness.

South Gallia 11, Harvest Christian 2

SG 200 405 — 11 10 1

HC 002 000 — 2 6 6

WP — Haislop; LP — Falls.

HR: SG — B.J. Stanley (first inning, one on).

Eagles rally past Athens

THE PLAINS — A three-run seventh ultimately allowed the Eastern baseball team to sneak away from host Athens Tuesday night with a come-from-behind 4-3 victory during a Tri-Valley Conference interdivisional matchup.

The Eagles (15-5) stormed out to an early 1-0 lead after the top of the third, but the Bulldogs (11-5) countered with three runs in their half of that frame for a 3-1 cushion after three complete.

The score remained that way until the seventh, when AHS literally self-destructed. Eastern scored its three runs that inning thanks to a pair of errors and a passed ball on a third strike, as well as one hit.

Eastern managed six hits in the triumph, led by Kyle Connery with two hits and two runs scored. Nick Brannon, Derek Griffin, Zach Hendrix and Andrew Benedum also added a safety each to the winning cause.

Athens — which had only three hits in the setback — got one safety apiece from Pach, Detter and Zoucek. Both teams had two errors apiece in the game.

Ben Buckley was the winning pitcher of record, working two innings of perfect relief with one strikeout. Titus Pierce started the game and went five innings in the no-decision. Summers took the loss for AHS in one inning of relief.

Eastern 4, Athens 3

Eastern 001 000 3 — 4 6 2

Athens 003 000 0 — 3 3 2

WP — Buckley; LP — Summers.

Alexander doubles up Southern

RACINE — The Alexander Spartans axed the Southern Tornadoes 8-4 Tuesday night during boys' non-league baseball action at Southern's Star Mill Park. Southern falls to 10-9 on the season and plays at Federal Hocking tonight (Wednesday) for the last league game in the TVC Hocking Division.

Southern started out well in the first inning in taking a 1-0 lead when Michael Manuel reached on an error and Jordon Taylor slammed an RBI single after Manuel had stolen second, the score 1-0. Chris Holter walked to put runners on first and second, but a pop-up ended the inning.

Southern's Kyle Cunningham and Alexander's Trey Bennett had locked horns in a great pitching battle as Southern held a 1-0 lead into the fourth. In the fourth inning, with two out, Casey Doudna reached on an error, then Cyle Linder hammered a double to tie the game at 1-1.

Southern took a 3-1 lead in the fifth when Taylor walked, Brad Brown singled and the two advanced on an error to second and third with courtesy runner Adam Warden eventually scoring on a miscue. Zach Ash knocked home the second run for the 3-1 SHS lead.

The Spartans had a spartan inning of four runs in the sixth when three errors, a two-run Cody Lawson double, a fielder's choice, and Linder single plated four Alexander runs to push the visitors ahead 5-3.

Alex scored three more in the seventh when two errors and singles by Lawson and Dirk Malone each singled for an 8-3 Alex lead. Southern plated a run in the bottom of the seventh. Brown led off with a walk, advanced on a passed ball, Ash drew a one-out walk, then a strike out, and an walk to Taylor Deem and ensuing balk brought home Brown before a pop out ended the inning, the score 8-4.

Cunningham suffered the loss for Southern despite pitching well. Cunningham fanned five and walked three. Southern made six costly errors. Bennett and Dirk Malone combined for the win with 10 strikeouts and seven walks.

Southern hitters were Zach Ash with two singles, Taylor Deem a single, Jordan Taylor a single, Brad Brown a single, and Dustin Salser a double.

Alexander 8, Southern 4

Alexander 000 104 3 — 8 9 2

Southern 100 020 1 — 4 6 7

WP — Malone; LP — Cunningham.

Lady Eagles blank Athens

THE PLAINS — Pitching and defense go a long way in softball, as was the case for Eastern Tuesday night during a 3-0 victory over host Athens in a Tri-Valley Conference interdivisional matchup in Athens County.

The Lady Eagles (11-3) limited the Lady Bulldogs (7-9) to just two hits over seven innings, but found themselves in a scoreless tie after six complete.

Then in the top of the seventh, EHS hit paydirt with three hits and a walk — which led to three runs for a 3-0 advantage.

Allie Rawson started the rally with a one-out double, then Kasey Turley walked and Britney Morrison singled to load the bases. Cassie Randolph hit into a fielder’s choice to plate Rawson for a 1-0 edge.

Sami Cummins singled one batter later, allowing both Turley and Randolph to score for the final three-run outcome.

EHS had five hits in the triumph, with Cummins, Rawson, Turley, Morrison and Megan Carnahan providing one each. Both teams had one error in the contest.

Turley was the winning pitcher of record, allowing two hits and one walk over seven innings while striking out nine. Sarah Daugherty took the loss for the hosts.

Eastern 3, Athens 0

Eastern 000 000 3 — 3 5 1

Athens 000 000 0 — 0 2 1

WP — Turley; LP — Daugherty.