Hurricanes Open Baseball Season 0-2

The ‘Canes played their home opener Tuesday versus GMC and lost 11-5.

The team only managed three hits, two of those coming in the first inning on a single by Brady McMichael and double off the center field wall by Kevin Camp, followed by a single in the fifth inning off the bat of Lane Thomas.

Southpaw Clay Hardy was the starter on the mound and pitched three shutout innings before getting into trouble in the fourth. He had five strikeouts and only gave up two hits until the fourth inning when he gave up six walks and a double.

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Jonathan Bell came on in the bottom third of the fourth inning and got the last out with a ground ball and left the bases loaded. Bell couldn’t maintain his control and hit two batters and walked two before Dusty Womack came in with no outs and got a force out and two pop ups and got the ‘Canes out of the inning and left the bases loaded once again. Womack stayed on to pitch the remainder of the seven inning game.

The ‘Canes took a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the first on a RBI by Camp, and maintained their lead until GMC scored four runs in the top of the fourth. Both teams scored a run in the fifth leaving the ‘Canes down 5-2.

The ‘Canes had a rally going in the bottom of the fifth. McMichael got on base when he was hit by a pitch, and the GMC pitcher proceeded to walk four straight batters enabling the ‘Canes to put two more runs on the board, but the rally was cut short when a ‘Cane batter hit into a double play and left three runners stranded on base.

Going into the seventh and last inning the ‘Canes were down 5-4 and were still very much in the game. But GMC proceeded to put six runs on the board in the top of the inning. A hit batter, two errors, three walks, a triple and a single left the ‘Canes down 11-4 with one last chance in the bottom of the last inning.

There was no rally and the game concluded with this final score after the ‘Canes struck out two times and gave up the final out of the game on a long fly ball.

Athletic Director and Head Baseball Coach Chris Jenkins said, “Our pitcher did a good job up until the point where he became worn down. We have to learn how to pitch when we get tired. Our hitting just wasn’t there. We had an absolutely awful approach at the plate.”

Prior to this game the ‘Canes were defeated 4-1 this past Monday to Jackson in a makeup game which was rained out last week. Their next game is scheduled at Jones County today, March 1, and a home game scheduled for tomorrow, March 2, at 5:30 p.m. versus Social Circle. Also, Tuesday, March 6, the ‘Canes will play at home vs. Morgan County at 5 p.m.