Parklane Academy head baseball coach Mike Clements hopes his team can build momentum heading toward the postseason.
On Thursday night, the Pioneers did that and much more.
Parklane nailed down the No. 2 spot in Class AAA, Division 1 South and kept itself alive for a shot at the top seed with a doubleheader sweep of Oak Forest Academy.
The Pioneers coasted to a 13-1, five-inning win in Game One, then battled back for a hard-fought 15-9 win in the nightcap.
Parklane (15-9 overall, 8-4 in district play) can clinch the district’s No. 1 seed with a three-game series sweep of East Rankin beginning on the road next Tuesday, and if Oak Forest Academy sweeps two games from Jackson Prep next week.
“What we’re looking for is momentum, and we’re on the right track to that,” Clements said. “Anytime we can show as much heart as we did tonight and as much effort, it says a lot about our team. We’re all playing together.”
Much of Parklane’s sweep Thursday night was due to Zac Smith. The Pioneers’ cleanup hitter hit a pair of three-run home runs in the first game, then went 1-for-3 with two RBIs, including a run-scoring double in the nightcap.
“I told Zac early in the season that he’s our cleanup hitter and he needs to clean up the bases,” Clements said. “He’s taken that role and run with it. He’s worked hard on his swing. He’s spent a lot of time in the batting cage.”
Smith capped Parklane’s four-run first inning with a three-run shot to also score Brandon Austin, who singled to lead off the inning, and Nathan Taylor, who singled with one out.
Hunter Aultman also singled home Hunter Authement to account for Parklane’s other first-inning run.
Parklane blew open the game in the third.
With the Pioneers leading 4-1, Aultman walked and Landon Mabile singled. After a wild pitch moved the runners to second and third, Walt Aldridge singled them both home for a 6-1 advantage.
Austin reached on an error and Jordan Taylor was hit by a pitch to load the bases. Nathan Taylor then singled in Aldridge and Austin to make it 8-1. Smith followed with his second three-run home run of the game, this one to right-center, to make it 11-1.
Parklane put the top on its opening-game win in the fourth. Aldridge doubled and courtesy runner Spencer Remley took third on a passed ball. Austin walked and moved to second on a wild pitch to put runners at second and third. Aldridge scored on Jordan Taylor’s groundout, and Nathan Taylor came home on Nathan Taylor’s groundout to make it 13-1.
Nathan Taylor pitched a five-inning complete game for the win. The left-hander limited Oak Forest Academy to a run on three hits. He walked two and struck out two.
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Game Two was anything but a walk in the park for Parklane. The Pioneers helped Oak Forest Academy get out to a quick start with five errors in the first two innings. The Pioneers committed six miscues in all for the game.
Oak Forest Academy got a walk and a double along with a key Parklane error to take a 2-0 first-inning lead.
The Pioneers answered in the home half of the first. With one out, Jordan Taylor singled, stole second, went to third on Nathan Taylor’s single and scored on Smith’s infield groundout.
Authement followed with a single to left that plated Nathan Taylor with the tying run.
Oak Forest Academy, however, took advantage of three more Parklane errors in the second to score four more runs and take a 6-2 lead.
The Pioneers had another answer. Wesley Sherrer’s two-run single capped the Pioneers’ five-run third inning and put Parklane in the lead 7-6. The Pioneers also had some help in the frame. Oak Forest Academy committed two of its three errors in the frame that led to two other Parklane runs. Smith also had an RBI double in the inning.
Oak Forest Academy came right back to take an 8-7 lead in the top of the fourth on Drew Misita’s two-run single.
After surrendering the hit to the first batter he faced in Misita, Smith set down the next seven hitters he faced.
The Pioneers, meanwhile took the lead for good with a six-run fifth inning for a 13-8 advantage. The inning was highlighted by Sherrer’s two-run bloop double to right-center that scored Authement and Aultman. Sherrer then scored on Justin Brent’s single to left. Nathan Taylor also had an RBI single in the fourth. A fifth run in the inning scored on a wild pitch and another on an Oak Forest Academy fielding error.
Nathan Taylor stretched the lead to 15-8 in the fifth when he crushed a 2-1 pitch high over the right-field wall for a two-run home run. The round-tripper also scored Jordan Taylor, who singled to lead off the inning.
While he wished his team would clean up its defense, Clements said the Pioneers always seem to overcome their mistakes in the field.
“Our guys have been doing a good job hitting the ball when we’re making errors,” he said. “We have good offense when we’re playing bad defense, and good defense when we’re not hitting.”
