STEENS — Columbus Christian Academy was dominant in both games of a Friday doubleheader against West Memphis Christian, rolling to 11-1 and 16-1 victories.
The wins mean that the Rams are well on course for a top seed in the playoffs with a 7-0 record in MAIS Class 2A, District 1 play. They are 11-2 overall and have not lost since March 10.
CCA coach KC Cunningham, a former Rams player, was proud of his team and saw it as a continuation of the work they’ve put in throughout the season.
“I feel pretty confident going forward,” Cunningham said. “We’ve been playing real good all around: fielding, pitching and hitting the ball. We started a little rocky, but ever since (March 10) we’ve been playing really solid baseball.”
The Rams batted well throughout the order. In the opener, Jackson Howard and Lahndon Townley each homered, Drake Shaw tripled, and Daniel Pate and Luke Phillips each doubled.
Townley finished 2 for 3 with four RBIs, while Howard drove in three runs.
Phillips pitched five innings, striking out 12, while Caleb Farlow pitched an inning to complete the no-hitter.
In the second game, a three-inning affair, Shaw struck out four, and McCory Humphreys hit a bases-loaded inside-the-park home run in the second. Farlow’s two-run triple ended the game in the third inning.
Shaw was composed and consistent on the mound, and his fielders helped him out efficiently when needed. Minga at first base came up with the highlight of the day, a solo double play where he leapt to catch a looping ball, and then landed directly on the bag to tag out the runner, who had almost no time to realize what had happened.
The win was nothing out of the ordinary for the Rams, who have one more district matchup against Hebron Academy, a team they beat 21-0 earlier in the season.
“Keeping focused has been big for them,” Cunningham said of his squad’s unbeaten march through the district. “I actually thought we were a bit slow today and going through the motions. I think we’re better than what we showed today, but overall we’ve been playing really good baseball.
“We’ve been doing all the things you can ask a team to do. I’m really proud of them, I’ve been coaching them for three years now, and you can tell they’ve progressed every year.”
When asked about how this team matches up with his Rams squad, Cunningham did not hesitate.
“Right now my senior year is still better,” he said with a big grin, “but if we can do well in the playoffs, I think this will be a better team.”
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