Battling against less than ideal weather conditions throughout the first couple weeks of the season, the Independence baseball program managed to open the year with a pair of wins before dropping two losses to Winona and French Camp Academy.
Coach Jordan Edwards and his squad opened the season on February 10, earning a close 6-5 win against Lee Academy (Miss.), before taking a Valentine’s Day victory against West Memphis Christian, 7-5. Last week, the Wildcats stumbled with a pair of 13-9 and 8-4 losses to Winona and French Camp Academy.
In the season-opener against Lee Academy, Independence took a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the second, thanks to a two-out single from Austin Eddie. The Colts bounced back with a run in the top of the third, but an error on Lee Academy third baseman Reece Spinks helped the Wildcats regain a 2-1 lead.
Neither team scored again until the top half of the sixth inning, when the Colts put together a four-run frame. Spinks started off the scoring by reaching home on a passed ball, and Brooks Lewis followed with an RBI base hit to left field. Leading 3-2, Lee Academy added more runs off an error at first base and a sacrifice fly to left field, widening the gap to 5-2.
However, Independence fought back in the bottom of the sixth, as Eddie’s groundout to first brought the Wildcats back within 5-3. After the Colts went scoreless in the top of the seventh, IHS added a run back off an error and tied the game up with a single to left from Kaleb Kitchen. The winning run would come three batters later, when Colton Moncrief delivered a single to right field, scoring Austin Johnson.
Lee Academy finished with eight base hits in the loss, while Independence finished the game with six. The Colts were also assessed four errors, compared to just one from the Wildcats.
All six of Independence’s base hits were scattered throughout the lineup, while Darren Williams went 3-for-4 at the plate to lead the Colts. Eli Stepp picked up the win in relief for the Wildcats, striking out a pair of batters with two walks and four total runs allowed over the final two frames. Dallas Stepp started on the mound, pitching five full innings with nine strikeouts against no walks and one earned run given up.
Against West Memphis Christian, Independence scored a run in the bottom of the first and two more in the second, earning an early 3-0 lead. The Wildcats added a run in the bottom of the fourth to move the score to 4-0, but WMCS battled back with a three-run frame in the fifth and two more in the sixth.
Despite the late rally, IHS still scraped across a run in the first and two more in the sixth, pulling out the 7-5 win.
Merritt Owens and Dallas Stepp each finished with a pair of base hits, while Owens picked up the win on the mound, striking out five batters against three walks in three full innings.
Independence will make the short trip to Senatobia on Tuesday, Feb. 25 at 7 P.M., with the junior varsity game taking place at 5 P.M. The Wildcats are then scheduled to host Biggersville on Thursday, Feb. 27 at 4 P.M.
