Amite School Center had played Trinity Episcopal to a 2-2 tie through four innings, when both managers went to their bullpens.
ASC’s Michael Clements brought in lefty Aaron Westbrook, while Trinity Epsicopal went to righthander Parker Brumfield.
Westbrook used his southpaw delivery and his breaking ball to keep Trinity at bay through the fifth, but fielding errors and Trinity’s timing finally caught up to him.
Trinity put seven runs on the board in the sixth to win 9-2.
“He’s closed two games for us, and he’s been doing a good job,” Clements said of Westbrook. “He keeps them off balance and has been effective that way.”
Trinity’s Brumfield kept his head down and put fastballs over the plate for ASC hitters, but they didn’t take advantage, striking out nine times in the final four innings.
“We wanted to let the fastball for a strike go by and swing at the curveball in the dirt,” Clements said. “If we can make adjustments at the plate we’ll have some good things start to happen.”
ASC took a lead in the second inning off a two-run homer from Alex Badon to left-center field.
Those were the only runs the Rebels managed, even though they had runners on third in the third and fifth and the bases loaded and one out in the seventh.
Trinity broke the tie on a sacrifice fly from Brian Sanderson for his second RBI of the game. After the 3-2 lead, the runs kept coming with help from two errors by ASC.
Tanner Cothren came in with two outs in the sixth and finished off the inning before pitching a quiet seventh.
Cole Wells started the game for the Rebels and pitched three 2/3 innings only allowing two runs before exiting.
“We were short on pitching,” Clements said. “Wells got the win on Thursday against Columbia, but he hadn’t had enough rest.”
The Rebels will host Hillcrest Christian on Friday with the game starting at 6. Returning U.S. Army Spc. Josh Wells will throw out the first pitch.
