STARKVILLE — The Hamilton High School Dizzy Dean baseball team used an “Earnest” effort Thursday to get a victory at Starkville Academy.
Dylan Earnest had seven strikeouts and two hits and Ethan Earnest added two hits to help the Lions defeat the Volunteers 10-5.
The umpires stopped the second game of the doubleheader in the third inning when a bank of outfield lights wouldn”t come on.
Baseball is a family affair at Hamilton with brothers Ethan and Austin Earnest and cousin Dylan Earnest.
“It”s fun to have them out here,” Ethan said. “We pick each other up whether we are doing bad or good. It doesn”t matter. (Baseball) has been our life, and we”ve always wanted to be together on the field. We work out and just about live there. We go there every day.”
Jason Earnest, the brother of Hamilton High baseball coach Lewis Earnest, coaches Hamilton”s Dizzy Dean team.
He has enjoyed plugging the three Earnests into the lineup.
“My brother and I have been looking forward to this since they were 5 and 6 years old,” Earnest said. “We thought we might possibly have them all out here together.”
Dylan set the tone by shutting out the Volunteers for two innings.
Although he struggled a bit in the middle innings and sat out a portion of the fifth, he returned later in the inning to finish the game. He struck out Ben Thebaud to end the game after six innings.
“I didn”t have my best stuff and I was real tired,” Dylan said. “When I came back in, I felt better than I did before I came out.”
Will Fuller had two of the five hits — all singles — against Earnest.
Dylan and Ethan Earnest had four of the eight hits for Hamilton (4-4). Kyle Dahlem drove in a run with a double for the game”s only extra-base hit.
Starkville Academy coach Matthew Crosby said Dylan, Ethan, and Austin Earnest make the Lions a good team.
“They are a great 2A team and hat”s off to them,” Crosby said. “They have a lot of discipline and a lot of talent. This is the first time I had seen them. I like what they do.”
The Volunteers” effort in game one disappointed Crosby, but he was happy with the way they regrouped in the second game.
Starkville Academy (5-3-1) had five consecutive hits and scored six runs in the first inning.
Jason Earnest was glad to get at least get two innings played in the second game and saw positive signs.
On the final play before the umpire yelled “ballgame,” Taylor Bogue, who recently moved to Hamilton, tripled to the fence.
“We”re extremely young and inexperienced,” Jason Earnest said. “We”re needing to get as much playing time as possible. Mistakes are showing, but we”re trying to work them out.”
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