Mellown throws two-hitter

Published 12:00 am Thursday, June 26, 2003

The Andalusia 14-year-old Babe Ruth All-Stars earned a 12-0 win against the Covington County All-Stars in District Tournament action Thursday night at Straughn School.

Andalusia's 12 runs, including one via a solo home run by Josh Smithart that measured approximately 330 feet in the seventh inning,were more than enough for starting pitcher Mathew Mellown.

Mellown pitched a two-hit shutout to get the win. The lefty struck out 17 in the game while allowing two hits and two walks.

Seventeen of Covington County's 21 outs in the game came via the strikeout.

Mellown also did a good job with a bat in his hands. He knocked in the first run of the game in the top of the first inning for an early 1-0 cushion.

Michael Berry reached on a walk and stole second before scoring on an RBI-single by Mellown in the first.

In the third inning, Mellown had another RBI. Smithart also had an RBI in the second inning. Zach Jones and MacKenzie Curry scored Andalusia's two runs in the third inning.

Andalusia held a 3-0 lead after three innings and added four more runs in the top of the fifth inning when Cory Dukes, Jones, Mellown and Smithart scored. Smithart had a two-RBI double in the inning. Jones had an RBI-single.

Curry scored his second run of the game for Andalusia in the top of the sixth inning to stretch the lead to 8-0. Curry reached on a walk, stole second, moved to third on a passed ball and scored on an infield single by Jones.

Smithart led off the seventh inning with a bang for Andalusia turning on a high fastball and whipping it over the left-center field fence about 330 feet away from home plate.

Jordan Maynor, Westley Glisson and Berry also scored in the inning for a 12-0 lead.

Mellown went back to the mound in the bottom of the seventh and after two quick outs got ina little trouble.

A single by Kevin Meeks followed by a walk to Josh Bulger gave Covington County runners on first and second.

Both runners moved up when Meeks swiped third and Bulger raced down to second base.

Mellown, however, got out of the jam with his 17th strikeout of the contest to seal the win.

Andalusia advances to play the Opp All-Stars at 10 a.m. on Saturday at the Straughn High School baseball field.