Hurricanes Win by Slimmest Margin
The Monticello Hurricanes, after their busy week during Spring Break, took on Putnam County in their only game on Wednesday last week. This game was the rubber match of the series, with both teams winning by single runs the Friday prior.
As with any game against Putnam, this one was another barnburner, as the Hurricanes pulled out a 7-6 senior night win in the bottom half of the eighth to not only take the game, but also the season series against the region rival.
The game was truly a back and forth affair, the Hurricanes taking a 2-0 lead in the bottom of the first inning. Jaxson Cohran led off the game for the Canes, and took first after being hit by an Ethan Whatley pitch. Brelynd Beasley made the War Eagles pay, driving the first pitch to the left center gap for a double, scoring Cohran on the play as the Hurricanes drew first blood. After a groundout by Ethan McMichael moved Beasley up to third, senior Chandler Aguirre dropped down a bunt for a successful squeeze play, scoring Beasley and moving the score to 2-0. After a quiet second inning, Putnam responded in the top of the third, plating two runs courtesy of three singles. This knotted the score at 2-all.
The Hurricanes answered right back in the bottom half of the inning, putting up four runs without a hit as a wild streak on the mound led to five walks by War Eagle pitching. All four runs were scored after two outs, bringing the Hurricane lead to 6-2 going into the fourth inning. After a quiet fourth the War Eagles scored four runs of their own to knot the game back at 6-all with four hits, a walk and a hit batter. This score held up for a while, eventually forcing the game into extra innings, “free baseball” if you will.
In the top half of the eighth, Beasley, who had taken over on the mound for Cohran in the fifth inning, set the War Eagles down in order to bring up the Hurricanes with the score still tied. Hunter Sorrows led off, and headed to first after being plunked by a 2-1 pitch. Nine-hole hitter Gavin Bennett then laid down a bunt to advance Sorrows to second base. In what looked like an out at second, the Putnam fielders collided, and Sorrows ended up advancing, as the runner was never tagged on the play. Leadoff hitter Jaxson Cohran worked a walk to put two on, and Beasley then wore a 1-2 pitch to lead the bases. This brought up McMichael, who hit a grounder to first that was mishandled by the first-baseman, allowing Sorrows to come across with the game winning run to clinch the win and the series over Putnam.
Head Coach Brady McMichael said after the game that he was “proud of the boys and the fight they showed over the three game series, and that those type of games are the games that prepare a team for the playoffs.”
On Monday, the Hurricanes traveled to South DeKalb County to play the final game of the series with McNair. In a game where everyone who dressed played, the Hurricanes led 4-0 after the conclusion of the first, 16-0 after the second, and 25-0 at the end. Hurricane pitcher Cam Stout pitched his second perfect game of the season, both against the Mustangs, as he went three innings and struck out four.
Senior Chandler Aguirre and Freshman Kayson Hobbs both had a three hit game for the Hurricanes, who kept runners on the bases all evening courtesy of 15 hits, 13 walks, 3 hit batters, and 4 errors on the McNair defense.
The Canes have three games this last week of regular season, with a trip to Lamar County followed by a doubleheader at home to close out the regular season, also against Lamar. These games have playoff seeding implications, as the Trojans are currently in second place with a 9-3 record.
The Hurricanes are in third with an 8-4 record, but if the Hurricanes win the series, will slide into second place and host in the first round of the GHSA playoffs next week for the first time since the 2015 region champs.