CALEDONIA — After mustering just two hits in Thursday night’s 6-4 home loss to rival Caledonia, the New Hope baseball team was “low,” junior catcher Hunter Carr said.
The Trojans were 1-3 on the season and hadn’t scored more than three runs in any of their defeats, all of which had come by two or fewer runs. Together, New Hope made a promise: We’ve got to step it up.
And in Friday’s rematch with the Cavaliers in Caledonia, Carr and the Trojans did just that.
The junior smacked a three-run double before the Cavs (5-1) recorded a single out in the top of the first inning, helping New Hope get off to a fast start in a 12-3 road win.
“For the first time, we really came out and swung the bats really good,” New Hope coach Lee Boyd said. “I think that’s kind of what got us going early in the game.”
Carr laced the first pitch he saw from Caledonia starter Jacob Humbers into the gap in right center field after the Trojans’ first three batters reached. Humbers hit both Gates Gerhart and Adam Adair with pitches before Zac Butler singled to load the bases for Carr. The junior backstop promptly cleared them and later raced home on a wild pitch to give New Hope a 4-0 lead before Caledonia even came to bat.
“We’ve really been struggling with the bats,” Boyd said. “For him to hit that big double right there to kind of get us loosened up in a big rival game like that was really big for us.”
New Hope added five runs in the second as Carr walked to force in a run, Dawson Lofton blooped a single over the head of first baseman Josh Pitts to score two, and Tucker Boyett doubled down the left-field line to bring in two more runs.
It pushed the Trojans’ lead to 9-1 after Caledonia’s Gavin Holloman reached on an infield single in the bottom of the first. JL Lewis brought in a run for the Cavs with an RBI groundout off Gerhart in the second, and after Loren Cox walked to load the bases, Pitts grounded into a 6-4 forceout that seemingly allowed a run to score as he beat the rap at first. But the umpires convened at the bag and called Pitts out, ending the inning and keeping the Trojans’ lead at seven.
It wasn’t the only disputed call of the contest. In a wild play in the top of the fifth inning, Caledonia defenders believed a forceout at second base to be the third out and began to vacate the field. Realizing it was in fact just the second out, New Hope squeezed in an extra run before a lengthy delay as coaches and umpires got things squared away. Caledonia, then trailing 12-2, eventually returned to the field to record the third out and end the inning.
After that, Trojans sophomore Hayden Dodson continued his mastery of the Cavaliers. Dodson pitched the final four innings of the contest, giving up just one run on a swinging-bunt single by Caledonia’s J.C. Dodson (no known relation) in the fifth.
Boyd said his sophomore pitcher was “phenomenal” in his second appearance of the season after starting and going five innings on Feb. 27 against Phil Campbell (Alabama), spotting his fastball and sporting a strong breaking ball.
Carr said knowing Dodson will have plenty of time left at New Hope to make an impact is critical for the Trojans.
“It felt really good knowing that we have him a couple more years and that things are going to be fine,” Carr said.
Carr and Dawson Lofton each had two of the Trojans’ nine hits Friday, as Butler, Dodson, Boyett, Caden Perrigin and Richard Guy contributed the other five. It represented a step forward for a New Hope club about to play its third game in three days.
The Trojans were set to face Mooreville at 3 p.m. Saturday at Amory High School.
“I think we hit pretty good today as a team,” Carr said. “We’ve just got to keep it up tomorrow.”
New Hope 7, Mooreville 0
AMORY — New Hope followed up Friday’s win with a 7-0 shutout victory over Mooreville on Saturday at Amory.
The Trojans scored five runs in the fourth inning to get the win.
New Hope’s next game is Tuesday at home against Starkville.
Other scores
Prep Softball
Amory 12, West Point 0, four innings, Friday
AMORY — West Point was no-hit in Friday’s four-inning, 12-0 loss at Amory.
The Panthers scored four runs in the first inning and eight more in the second.
Sara Frances Ramsey pitched all three innings for the Green Wave.
West Point will host Caledonia on Monday.
Columbus 22, Aberdeen 10, Friday
Prep Baseball
Heritage Academy 10, Tuscaloosa Academy 0, six innings
The Heritage Academy baseball team held Tuscaloosa Academy to just one hit in Saturday’s 10-0 home win on the run rule.
Aaron Downs had a home run in the bottom of the sixth as the Patriots put the game away with four runs in the inning. He finished with a team-high five RBIs, while Carson Hollis and Drew Huskison each had one.
Hollis, Huskison and Caleb Hall each had two hits for the Patriots. Hall, who started the game on the mound, had 11 strikeouts in five shutout innings. Jack Ketchum had two strikeouts for the Pats.
Heritage Academy scored two runs in the third and four in the fifth.
The Pats will host Winston Academy for a doubleheader at 4:30 p.m. Tuesday.
Heritage Academy 17, Louisville 1, three innings, Friday
LOUISVILLE — Heritage Academy also beat Louisville 17-1 in three innings on the run rule in Friday’s road game.
The Patriots scored 13 runs in the first inning in the lopsided victory.
Carson Hollis led Heritage Academy with two walks and three RBIs. Caleb Hall had two hits and drove in two runs.
Jack Ketchum and Sam Hannon each had two hits, and Harris Gunter had two RBIs.
Brandon 9, Starkville 8
BRANDON — Starkville High School lost Saturday’s road game to Brandon 9-8 in walk-off fashion.
After a five-run fourth inning and a two-run fifth gave the Yellow Jackets a 7-6 lead and the two teams traded runs in the sixth, Brandon scored two runs in the seventh to win the contest.
The Bulldogs had a run in the first and five in the third.
Starkville will play Tuesday at New Hope.
Kosciusko 7, West Point 1
KOSCIUSKO — West Point lost 7-1 to Kosciusko in Saturday’s road game.
The Whippets scored three runs in the first inning and had four more by the third. The Green Wave scored one late run, but it wasn’t enough.
West Point’s next game is Tuesday against Caledonia.
Nanih Waiya 11, West Point 2, Friday
LOUISVILLE — West Point also lost 11-2 to Nanih Waiya on Friday in Louisville.
A nine-run second inning separated the Warriors from the Green Wave.
Jordan Fitzpatrick, Ben Harrell and four other players each had a hit for West Point. Corbin Hendricks had both RBIs.
Cole Ellis struck out seven in 4.1 innings. Harrell struck out four in 1.2 innings on the mound.
Starkville Academy 9, Oak Hill Academy 0, Friday
STARKVILLE — Starkville Academy pitchers combined on a one-hitter against Oak Hill Academy on Friday in Starkville.
For the Volunteers, Ayden Alsobrooks allowed one hit in three innings, walking two and striking out five. Drew Williams struck out six batters in two innings, and John Paul Buckner struck out five in two innings.
Alsobrooks and Colby Allen both went 2 of 4 with two runs scored and two RBIs apiece. Alsobrooks had two doubles, and Allen had one.
Will McReynolds was 1 of 4 with a run scored and an RBI, and Porter Skelton was 1 of 3 with an RBI.
Starkville Academy scored a run in the first inning, five in the third, one in the fifth and two in the sixth.
The Volunteers will play a doubleheader at Lamar School beginning at 4 p.m. Tuesday in Meridian.
Oak Hill Academy 6, Ethel 1
Ethel 14, Oak Hill Academy 4
ETHEL — Oak Hill Academy split Saturday’s road doubleheader at Ethel High School.
The Raiders grabbed a 6-1 win in the second game after a 14-4 loss in the first.
Colin Boyd pitched five one-run innings with five strikeouts and got the win on the mound in Game 2. Drew Wright closed the game out with two strikeouts in two innings as he earned the save. At the plate, Wright had an RBI single in the seventh inning.
Cameron Dill went 2 for 3 for Oak Hill in the second game.
Carson Taylor had a solo home run in the second inning of Game 1.
Oak Hill will host East Webster on Tuesday.
North River Christian Academy (Ala.) 13, Columbus Christian Academy 9, Friday
STEENS — Jackson Howard struck out 11 over five innings, but Columbus Christian Academy lost 13-9 to North River Christian Academy (Ala.) in Friday’s home opener.
North River scored five runs in the seventh inning after the Rams trailed 8-6 going into the frame. Columbus Christian scored three runs in the bottom of the seventh, but it wasn’t enough to catch up.
Howard, John James Butler and Daniel Pate each scored two runs for the Rams.
Drake Shaw pitched one inning with two strikeouts.
Pickens Academy (Ala.) 12, Kemper Academy 2, six innings, Friday
CARROLLTON, Ala. — Pickens Academy (Alabama) earned a 12-2 run-rule win over Kemper Academy in six innings in Friday’s home game.
The Pirates scored six runs in the first inning and added two in the second, one in the fifth and three in the sixth.
Will Noland and Bodhi Parham had three hits apiece for Pickens. Hayden Dyer had a team-high three runs batted in.
Parham struck out seven in four innings on the mound. Lane Lowery struck out three in one inning pitched, and Aidan Johnson had one strikeout in his one inning of work.
Theo DeRosa reports on Mississippi State sports for The Dispatch. Follow him on Twitter at @Theo_DeRosa.
You can help your community
Quality, in-depth journalism is essential to a healthy community. The Dispatch brings you the most complete reporting and insightful commentary in the Golden Triangle, but we need your help to continue our efforts. In the past week, our reporters have posted 44 articles to cdispatch.com. Please consider subscribing to our website for only $2.30 per week to help support local journalism and our community.