First Bank manager Wes Brown had the feeling that this particular Friday evening was special.
Ever since First Bank’s infield defense turned in a perfect first inning — including a caught pop fly and cleanly-fielded ground ball — Brown knew this night was one of destiny.
“Things just had that feeling like they may come out for us,” Brown said after his First Bank team captured its first win of the season, 12-2 in three innings over Stat Care in 9-10-year-olds Dixie Youth Baseball action at Edgewood Park. “The kids played good. Those plays we made in the first inning, we haven’t been making those plays in recent games.”
Stone-wall defense wasn’t the only thing First Bank was doing right on Friday. It also put together a nine-hit attack, led by Newlon Gillihan’s second home run of the season, a two-run shot that highlighted First Bank’s seven-run third inning that sealed the deal.
Gillihan’s blast over the left-field fence also scored Austin Brown, who reached base with a single that scored leadoff hitter Gray Myrick. He reached on an error to open the frame.
The First Bank bats stayed hot after Gillihan’s home run. Daniel Holmes legged out an infield single and scored on Tyler Hodges’ double to the right-center field gap that grew First Bank’s lead to 9-1.
Hodges advanced to third on Chaz Lenard’s bunt single. One out later, Michael Sandifer walked to load the bases.
With two out, Evan Saldana laced a single to right field to score Hodges. The ball was mishandled by the Stat Care (3-7) right fielder, allowing Lenard and Sandifer to come around and score for a 12-1 advantage.
“I thought we hit the ball well tonight,” Brown said.
Holmes, First Bank’s starting pitcher, was on his game as well.
Already staked to a 3-0 lead, Holmes allowed an unearned run in the bottom of the second on two-out walks to Jacob Johnson and Marcus McNeil, a throwing error on a botched pickoff play, followed by a passed ball.
From there, Holmes settled down to throw a one-hitter. He walked six and struck out four.
The only hit he allowed came on a two-out RBI single by Dakota Wyland that followed consecutive one-out walks to Josiah Scott and KaDarius Barnes for the game’s final run.
“We had too many errors for sure and we didn’t hit the ball well,” Stat Care manager Pender Johnson said. “We played better Thursday night when we beat Trustmark. A different team showed up for us tonight.”
First Bank’s first-inning lead came when Austin Brown reached on an error with one out, Gillihan walked and Holmes singled up the middle to score Brown.
Gillihan scampered to third and Holmes took second on the throw home. Gillihan then came home when the Stat Care catcher’s throw to second sailed into center field. Holmes scored on another infield error to make it 3-0.
After Stat Care got on the board in the second, First Bank’s lead grew to 5-1 in the second.
Rodell Washington tripled to right-center field to lead off and scored on a wild pitch on ball four to Sandifer.
Two wild pitches advanced Sandifer to third. He scored on a wild pitch on ball four and a two-out walk to Roy Lee.
