Tyler Blevins needs a new nickname.
After losing more than 20 pounds, a slimmed down Blevins no longer resembles the “Bubble” moniker that fans shouted out at him Saturday night.
Blevins’ effort in the eighth inning showed he might have a headstart on a new nickname of choice: Clutch.
Blevins’ double down the left-field line provided the magic the Columbus High School baseball team needed to earn a 3-2 victory against Heritage Academy.
The victory helped Columbus improve to 4-1 and came on the heels of a 3-2 win earlier in the day against Corinth.
The victory against Heritage Academy (3-3) was even more special because it was believed to have been in the first baseball game played between the schools.
For Blevins, a senior outfielder, the victory was sweet because his first game-winning hit gave the Falcons a win.
“My coaches told me a new pitcher was in and he is going to throw fastballs and he is going to come right at you, so think middle-away and drive the ball somewhere,” Blevins said.
Blevins did just that, lining a fastball well inside the left-field line off reliever Brandon Newton to help the Falcons complete the afternoon-evening sweep.
“It felt good to know I brought the team to a win even after a couple of errors,” Blevins said.
Blevins said one of his closest friends, who was at the game Saturday, gave him the nickname when he was a sophomore or a junior because he “used to be a heavyweight.” Blevins said he has taken the weight off thanks to a regimen of running and work in the weight room. He said the weight loss has been easy because he wanted to get more serious about baseball.
“My pant size has gone down from a 38 to a 34 now,” Blevins said.
Blevins started a few games earlier in his high school career, but he felt he needed to lose weight and show his coaches he was committed to getting better.
Columbus High coach Jeff Cook said the time and effort Blevins has invested is paying off.
“I am excited for him because he has worked really hard in the weight room,” Cook said. “He had a great at-bats all day. Sometimes in that rotation of pitchers and infielders, Hunter (Mullis) would play the outfield and Chris (McCullough) would play first. After TB’s at-bats in the first game, I decided to go with him. Hunter threw a little more pitches than we normally allow, but he has had a full week’s rest. It was exciting because he is a senior and it was a big hit for him.”
Blevins’ hit helped Trace Lee get the win. Lee struck out two in a scoreless eighth. Christian Dale started for Columbus and allowed only four hits while striking out 11. He allowed a run on an error, a single, and a wild pitch in the sixth and another run in the seventh on an error, two fielder’s choices, and an outfield error.
In the first game, Mullis delivered another strong outing to get the win. McCullough had a two-run home run to spark the offense. Cook was proud of the pitching performances, but he said his team will need to tighten up defensively because pitching and defense will be keys this season with new BBCOR (Batted Ball Coefficient of Restitution) standards that reduce the performance of the bats.
“I thought Christian did outstanding,” Cook said. “We probably threw him a little more than usual or we would have, but it is a big game. They have a great team. I really like their team. … It is a no-brainer to play. We’re excited with the win, but we gave them two unearned runs. That is the disappointing thing because we have to make routine plays. But that was a playoff-type atmosphere.”
Heritage Academy also received a strong pitching performance from James Clark in game two. Unfortunately, at least six errors in game one contributed to a 7-6 loss to Corinth.
Heritage Academy coach Bruce Branch praised the effort of Clark, a senior, but, like Cook, lamented the fact his team failed to make plays it needs to make.
“That probably was the best outing I have seen from him in three years,” Branch said. “He competed his butt off all night. He competed as well as I have seen him compete since he has been here.”
Clark allowed only four hits and struck out seven. He surrendered a run in the first after a single by Jimmy Cockrell, a groundout, and an error. Greg Sykes’ sacrifice fly in the third scored Cockrell, who reached on an error.
Branch didn’t make any excuses for his team’s play Saturday. He feels the team is improving but it has a lot of improvement to make before next week.
“We just haven’t played well,” Branch said. “I don’t think we have played to our potential. I think we have a good ballclub, but we haven’t put it all together.”
Heritage Academy will take on Magnolia Heights on Tuesday.
n New Hope 4-5, Gordo (Ala.) 3-4: Landon Boys and Dusty Dyson had walk-off hits Saturday to lead the Trojans (6-0) to their doubleheader sweep.
In game one, the teams were tied at 3 in the bottom of the seventh before Boyd had a single up the middle to lift New Hope.
Taylor Stafford pitched two innings in relief to get the win. Peyton Lee pitched five strong innings.
Stafford had two singles, Lee and Dyson doubled, Tee Payne had a single, and Jace Caldwell had a double and a home run. Caldwell’s home run tied the game at 3 in the middle innings.
In the nightcap, Dyson hit a two-strike, two-out three-run home run to secure the victory.
Thomas Woodruff earned the win in relief. Will Golsan started and threw 5 1/3 innings. Stafford also pitched in relief.
Golsan had a double, Payne had two doubles, and Caldwell had a single. New Hope trailed 4-1 entering the bottom of the seventh.
New Hope will play at 6 p.m. Tuesday at Columbus. It will play host to Itawamba Agricultural High at 4 p.m. Thursday. The game was moved up to accommodate New Hope High’s prom on Friday.
Adam Minichino is the former Sports Editor for The Commercial Dispatch.
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