Coming off a winning streak in week two, the CHS Lions fought hard in week three, coming away with a 3-1 record for the week. Heading into week four with a number of players logging good stats, the team is poised to make a solid run at district play in the second half of the season.
According to the March 20 edition of the Jackson Sun, Jace Riley is one of the “top players to watch” for the 2019 season, because he brings experience on the mound and at the plate. Last season, Riley batted .451 with 13 doubles and 24 RBI’s. Riley is proving instrumental to the Lions’ success so far this season.
Hickman County
CHS pulled ahead to defeat Hickman County 12-10 in an away game on Tuesday, March 26. The game was tied at 10 in the top of the seventh, when hits from Max Wardlaw and Logan Deaton pushed CHS to victory.
Riley started the game for CHS. He allowed nine hits and eight runs over five innings, striking out four. Wardlaw pitched one inning, allowing two runs on four hits and striking out one. Matt Blow threw one inning in relief, recording the last three outs to earn the save for CHS.
The Lions made 16 hits in the game. Things got moving right off the bat with singles from Deaton and Brennan Smith, who drove in the first score. Heath Daniel, Deaton, Wardlaw, and Quentin Wilson each made multiple hits. Deaton went 4/4 at bat to lead CHS to victory, with his triple in the seventh sealing the deal for the Lions.
Riverside
CHS stayed in it until the end, but Riverside pulled away for a 15-9 victory on March 28. Despite the loss, CHS hit well and made no errors in the field, but couldn’t overcome Riverside’s 19 hits in the high-scoring affair.
Wardlaw toed the rubber for CHS. He surrendered nine runs on 11 hits over four innings, striking out two. Blow threw three innings in relief. Daniel had nine chances in the field, the most on the team.
CHS totaled eight hits, and scored six runs in the second inning. Batters contributing to the big inning included Blow, Daniel, Deaton, Darius Porter, Dalton Story, and Wilson, all driving in runs in the inning. Deaton, Wardlaw, and Wilson all had multiple hits in the CHS loss.
Perry County
Deaton had the hot hand at bat again on Friday, March 29, going 4/4 in the batter’s box and leading CHS to a 14-2 victory over Perry County in the first game of a double header. Evan Sharpe pitched the victory, lasting five innings, allowing two hits and two runs while striking out six and walking one.
CHS grabbed an early lead with three runs in the first inning. A single by Deaton, a fielder’s choice by Brennan Smith, and an error contributed to the forward push. The offensive firepower of Daniel, Deaton, and Riley earned them RBI’s by sending runners home for an additional four in the fourth. Blow, Daniel, Deaton, and Wardlaw each racked up multiple hits, contributing to the game total of 14.
In the second game against Perry County, the Lions shut out the competition with a score of 10-0. Trenton Moore was the winning pitcher, throwing a gem for CHS. He lasted five innings, allowing one hit and no runs while striking out seven.
In addition to his great pitching, Moore went 2/3 at the plate to lead CHS in hits. The Lions ran wild on the base paths with eight steals, two by Wardlaw, and tallied eight runs in the fourth inning alone. Blow, Deaton, Mason Howard, Smith, and Wardlaw powered the big inning with RBIs.
Upcoming Games
Weeks four and five hold serious district play for the Lions. Games against Creek Wood on April 1-2 and Waverly on April 8-9 will go a long way to determine the team’s fate this season.
