The Parklane Academy baseball season came to an end with a 10-9 loss at Madison Ridgeland Academy on Thursday.
The Pioneers (17-13, 12-8) lost the series 2-0 and were eliminated in the first round of the playoffs. Parklane lost both games of the series by one run as it dropped Game 1 at home Tuesday 5-4 in nine innings.
Head coach Robert Young praised his team for its effort from start-to-finish.
“This was a very, very scrappy team,” Young said. “From the start of the season to the end of the season, they gave everything they had. They were two games away from playing in the state championship. They did what they had to do to get in the playoffs grabbing in the No. 2 seed.”
Parklane jumped out to a 3-0 lead in the top of the first against the Patriots on Thursday, but MRA scored two runs in the bottom of the first and six in the bottom of the second to take an 8-3 lead.
The Pioneers scored four in the third and two in the fifth, but still trailed the remainder of the game.
Starting pitcher Henry McDonald went 1 inning giving up four walks, while recording no strikeouts. Peyton Yawn went 2/3 of an inning giving up one earned run and two walks, while recording one strikeout. Logan Yawn went the final 41⁄3 innings giving up one earned run and two walks to go with one strikeout.
Peyton Yawn was 4-4 from the plate with three RBIs, one run, one double and one walk; Zach Thomas was 1-5; Jonathan Turner was 2-4 with one run; Logan Yawn was 1-3 with one run and one walk; Carr Young was 1-3 with two runs and one RBI; and Cole Smith was 1-3 with two runs and one walk.
Coach Young said he was optimistic about the future since many players will be returning. They will be losing pitchers Carr Young and McDonald, who signed to play for Southwest Mississippi Community College along with Robert Pickett.
Left fielder Jonathan Turner signed to play for Pearl River Community College.
“Hats off to seniors,” Coach Young said. “They put it all out there for us. The young guys are going to start to grind and go after a championship next year.”
