It took the South Pike baseball team until the end of March 2011 to record its first win. The second win didn’t even come until April.
2012 has been an entirely different story, at least for now, after South Pike blasted Amite County, 12-2, in five innings Thursday.
The win was the Eagles’ second of the year in three tries. South Pike’s previous win came last week over McComb in a doubleheader.
“It’s a lot better feeling than last year,” South Pike coach Neal Smith said. “We’re having a lot more success a lot earlier.”
Freshman Chandler Johnson tossed five innings to pick up the win. He scattered four hits, struck out three and walked only one.
Colby Bourn led the Eagles offensively with three hits, including a double.
Blake Lantrip chipped in with two hits and Jeffrey Pace, Robert Holmes, Robert Tapp and Cody Woodall all recorded hits.
South Pike takes the diamond again today as it hosts the South Pike Tournament. McComb and Hazlehurst square off at 4 p.m. followed by South Pike and Hazlehurst at 6 p.m.
South Pike also plays Saturday at home against Salem at 6 p.m.
North Pike drops 4-3 decision
A late rally fell short for North Pike on Thursday, as it dropped a 4-3 loss to Davidson (Ala.) in the Mississippi-Alabama Classic at Pearl High School.
North Pike trailed 4-2 in the top of the sixth and scored a run when pinch hitter Patrick Roberts hit a sacrifice fly to score Austin Smith.
In the seventh, the Jaguars had men on second and third after Jesse Travis singled and Smith reached on a two-base error. Travis and Smith were stranded as North Pike (3-1) suffered its first loss of the season.
Will Richardson took the loss for the Jags. He allowed four hits and two earned runs in an inning of work. Jacob Flemming started and went four innings, allowing 2 runs — one earned — with three strikeouts.
North Pike scored its first run in the second when Smith reach on an error and was chased home by Flemming’s double off the left field wall.
Dusty Brock scored the second run in the third inning after Travis’ RBI double.
Davidson took the lead for good with a run in the fourth and two in the fifth. Davidson finished with eight hits and committed four errors.
Travis finished with two hits to lead the Jags. Ladarius Coney chipped in with a double.
North Pike continues play tonight against Hartselle (Ala.) tonight at 7:30 at Northwest Rankin and Saturday against Mountain Brook (Ala.) at 12:30 at Jackson Academy.
ASC 8, Columbia Academy 3
Andy Morris was 3 for 3 and Blake Terrell tossed a complete game as Amite School Center got past Columbia Academy, 8-3, on Thursday.
Terrell was also 2 for 4 at the plate. Carson Causey added two hits for ASC.
“We got the talent,” Morris said. “We are just starting to finish baseball games.
