VINEMONT, Ala. – April has been very kind to the Vinemont Eagles so far, as they are 3-1 in their first four games of the month. They looked to keep that momentum going at home against Locust Fork on Fridaynight in a huge area game. Both teams went back and forth to start out the game, and Vinemont grabbed a lead that they wouldn’t relinquish the rest of the game, as they ended up knocking off the Hornets, 7-4.
Carson Drummond got the start for Vinemont and struck out the first two batters he faced. Things quickly went downhill for Drummond and company after that, though, as Locust Fork loaded the bases with two outs. A pair of errors allowed Locust Fork to grab a 2-0 lead, and the Hornets later added another run to make it 3-0. The Eagles quickly responded in their half. Tucker Mauter hit a leadoff triple, and Josh Rhodes brought him home on a sacrifice fly to cut it to 3-1. Drummond lined a single to center field, then Preston Lee, his pinch-runner, ended up scoring on a pair of Locust Fork errors to make it a one-run game. The next two batters reached via a hit by pitch and a walk, then one out later, Ryne Dalton’s RBI single tied the game up at three, and during the play, an error allowed Banks Borwick to score to give Vinemont a 4-3 lead.
Drummond collected three strikeouts in a scoreless second, and the Eagles got a two-out rally started in their half. Rhodes drew a walk, then he moved up to second on a passed ball. Drummond helped out his own cause by lining an RBI single to right field to make it 5-3. The Hornets put a pair of runners on with one out in the top of the third and later scored on an error to cut it to 5-4, but Vinemont got that run back and then some in their half. The Eagles loaded up the bases with one out, then Dalton scored on a Locust Fork error, and Rhodes added his second sacrifice fly of the game three pitches later to put them up, 7-4.
The game quickly turned into a pitcher’s duel after that, as multiple Hornet pitchers and Drummond didn’t allow a run for the next three innings. Locust Fork had one last chance to extend the game even further in the top of the seventh. A hit by pitch and a walk put runners at first and second with one out. Brayden Wallace, though, came in and collected the final two outs of the game to help the Eagles collect a huge 7-4 area win over the Hornets at home.
Rhodes finished with a pair of RBIs for Vinemont, while Drummond (two hits), Mauter (one hit), and Dalton (one hit) all drove in a run in the win. Drummond almost went the distance for the Eagles, as he went 6 1/3 innings, gave up four unearned runs, walked three, and struck out 13.
Vinemont (9-16) will head to Holly Pond next Monday.
Friday scoring recap:
Cold Springs 12, Winston County 2 – Batting: (CS) Sydney Ingram (four hits and two RBIs), Peyton Kennedy (one hit and two RBIs), Kotie Calvert (two RBIs), Kaydance Williams (hit and an RBI) Pitching: Kennedy – Five innings, five hits, two runs (one earned), two walks, and eight strikeouts
Cullman 5, Albertville 4 – Batting: (C) Dracen Bates (one hit and two RBIs), Samantha Johnson (three hits and an RBI), Kynlei Storey (two hits and an RBI, including the game-winning RBI single in the bottom of the seventh), Reese Hopper (RBI) Pitching: Storey – Seven innings, 10 hits, four runs (three earned), one walk, and four strikeouts
Hanceville 4, Vinemont 2 – Batting: (Hance.) Laila Lewis (one hit and two RBIs), Karrigan Pipkin (one hit and an RBI), Makayla Butler (RBI) – (Vine.) Bailey Howard (two hits and an RBI), Tori Vines (RBI) Pitching: Isabella Spinks, Butler and Kynzlee Farr: Seven innings combined, four hits, two runs (one earned), two walks, and 10 strikeouts – Vines: Six innings, five hits, four runs (one earned), three walks, and five strikeouts
