Baseball Canes Win 1, Drop 3 in Busy Week
The Monticello Hurricane baseball program had another busy week, with four varsity games and a junior varsity (JV) game, magnified by the fact that the Hurricane program was without two of their coaches for two of the varsity games.
The team finished the week with a 1-3 slate, pushing their overall record to 2-8 through the first 10 games. The final game of the week, the third game of a Diamond Day hosted by the Hurricane program, featured the only win of the week for the varsity team, a 9-3 triumph over the Portal Panthers. The Panthers, located in rural Bulloch County just north of Statesboro, came into the game on a high after a 7-4 triumph over Lincoln County, whom had just defeated the Hurricanes in the first game of the day 9-4.
Previously in the week, the Hurricanes lost tough decisions against both Georgia Military and Monroe Area by scores of 9-5 and 12-7 successively.
The game against Portal was the first matchup of the two teams since the Region 4-A tournament in 1985. At that time, the two teams were in different sub-regions, and met in the playoffs to see who would advance to state.
Monticello lost that game, 5-4, and in the first meeting of the two in almost 40 years, the Hurricanes were looking for a different result.
The game had an ominous start in the top of the 1st, as the leadoff batter for the Panthers reached base as the result of an error by shortstop Hunter Hays, and advanced to second on the play. A groundout moved the runner up, and a fielder’s choice play, with Hays fielding and throwing to Aguirre behind the plate in an attempt to nail the runner at home was late, resulting in the Panthers taking a 1-0 lead early without the benefit of a hit.
The next batter laced a single to left, but consecutive outs by the Hurricane defense quelled the Panther rally and brought the Hurricanes to the plate. In the bottom half of the inning, the Hurricanes finally found the timely hitting that has been missing for the most part this season. Chevy Sands led off with a single, followed by Tres Cohran reaching after he was hit by a pitch.
Hunter Hays then laced the next pitch for a single to right, loading the bases for Ethan McMichael. McMichael walked, forcing in the 1st run of the game for the Hurricanes, and knotting the score at 1-all. Catcher Chandler Aguirre came to the plate with the bases still loaded, lined a single into left that scored Cohran and Hays and upped the Hurricane lead to 3-1.
After a Grady Jordan strikeout and a pop out by Tom Schilling, the Hurricanes still had two runners on, now with two outs. Riley Savage, batting in the 8th spot in the lineup, laced a single to center that re-loaded the bases, bringing up Levi Shaw. Shaw walked on five pitches to bring in McMichael, and increase the Hurricane lead to 4-1. Chevy Sands struck out on a full count to end the inning, an inning that gave the Hurricanes a lead that wouldn’t be challenged.
Consecutive singles, an error, and another single notched another run for the Panthers in the top of the 2nd. With Schilling able to work out of a jam with runners on 2nd and 3rd on a fielder’s choice ground ball to Hays. Hays fielded and threw a strike to Aguirre at the plate who applied the tag to keep the Panthers from adding another run. Schilling struck out the next batter on three pitches to end the inning, and keep the Hurricanes up by two at 4-2.
In the bottom of the second, the Hurricanes added on by way of an Aguirre RBI single. This scored Hays, who had walked and reached 2nd after an attempted pickoff went awry after the Panther pitcher threw it away. Timely Hurricane hitting increased the lead again, when with two outs Cohran singled to left, driving in Savage, and advanced to second on the attempt to nail Savage at the plate. Hays came up and promptly doubled in the gap, scoring Cohran who was running on the play.
This increased the margin to a 7-2 lead for the Hurricanes, which was added to with a quickness after Hays stole third, a McMichael walk put runners on the corners for Aguirre, who grounded to short. The shortstop bobbled it, and Aguirre was able to beat out a throw to score Hays and bring the score to 8-2.
Portal added their 3rd and final run in the top of the 5th after a leadoff walk, stolen bases, and wild pitches led the runner around without the courtesy of a hit to score. The Hurricanes were able to get it back in the bottom half of the inning, with Aguirre again coming through with an RBI single after a hit-by-pitch and walk earlier in the inning had put two runners on base. This increased the score to 9-3, which would end up as the final margin.
Tom Schilling finished what he started, ending up with the win in a complete game effort, spreading out seven hits and only allowing three runs (only one of which was earned). Schilling showed good control as well, only doling out three walks while striking out five.
The junior varsity Hurricanes had a good week of competition, taking out Georgia Military 6-1, and Lamar County 13-8 to bring their record to 3-2 on the season.
The Hurricanes have another busy week ahead, with home games on Monday (JV only) against Mary Persons, Tuesday (JV/V DH) against Jackson, and Wednesday (JV/V DH) against Putnam County. All three games will be covered in next week’s edition.
The next week, the Hurricanes will be road trippin’, traveling to Loganville Christian on Tuesday, March 14, Glascock County, Thursday March 16, and a return trip to county line rival Jackson on Friday, March 17.
Hurricane Leaders
Batting
Hunter Hays – .385 BA (10/26), 4 2B, 6 RBI, 11 runs, and a .515 On Base Percentage (OBP)
Chevy Sands – .345 BA (10/29), 2 2B, 2 RBI, 11 runs, .513 OBP
Chandler Aguirre – .308 BA (8/26), 6 RBI, .455 OBP
Pitching
Tom Schilling – 2-0 record, 3.62 ERA, 19.1 IP, 27 H, 10 ER, 14 BB, 15 K
Hunter Hays – 0-1 record, 6.06 ERA, 17.1 IP, 16 H, 15 ER, 19 BB, 30 K