“Baseball is a marathon not a sprint”- Tom D’armi
This is evident at all levels of baseball but especially at the high school level where the head coach has to be as much a magician; tinkering with the batting order, changing the pitching rotation, as baseball coach at times. First year head coach Jordan Edwards awareness of this was evident Friday night when fresh off a home victory over the Vardaman Rams, his team headed into a two game series versus Potts Camp.
Game one saw Independence High School’s ace, Jayden Watkins start on the mound but the Cardinal bats drove in 4 runs to give Pott’s Camp an early lead going into the second inning. The Wildcats scored a run in the top half of the inning to make it 4-1. After that neither team was able to put together run until the top of the fourth when IHS again added a run narrowing the lead to 4-2 where it remained until the Wildcats scored solo runs in the 6th and 7th innings to force the game into extra innings.
The Wildcats took the lead for the first time in the game scoring a run to make the score 5-4, but the advantage would be short lived as the Cardinals scored twice to win the game 6-5.
Watkins pitched eight innings in a valiant effort on the mound striking out 8 and giving up 3 walks. On the other side of the plate Watkins went 1 for 4.
Parker Hardison led the Wildcats at the plate; going 2 for 4 with 2 RBI’s, Ethan Kile went 2 for 4 with a walk while scoring 2 runs for Independence. Bryson Davis was 2 for 3 with one run, Ja’shun Davis 1 for 3 with 1 RBI and freshman Scott McFarlin was 1 for 1.
As the sun sank behind the trees and the temperature dropped, game two began with the Wildcat bats driving in 3 runs in the top half of the first inning. Ethan Kile started on the mound for the Cats, pitching 2 innings while striking out 2 before allowing 3 runs on 2 hits and 5 walks. The Cats scored again in the visitors half of the third inning to regain the lead 4-3. Landyn Lindsey took over the pitching duties at this point striking out 2 Cardinal batters while allowing 3 runs on 3 hits in 3 innings of middle relief. The game would be tied at 6 all when closer; Dallas Stepp was called to the mound by Coach Edwards. Stepp struck out 3 while allowing 1 run on 3 hits as the Wildcats dropped another close one 7-6.
The Wildcats continue to be productive at the plate 6 runs on 8 hits and 2 Potts Camp errors. Several Wildcats had multiple hits in the game led by catcher Butch Bryant who in his 4 appearances at the plate drove 4 runs on 2 hits. Ethan Kile went 2 for 3 with a walk, Parker Hardison was walked once by the Cardinals going 2 for 3, and Bryson and Ja’Shun Davis were both 1 for 1 with 1 RBI in their appearances at the plate.
The Wildcats look to bounce back, this week at home against non-district opponent Myrtle on Friday, March 12 at 7:00 pm.
