Getting in some games
Published 12:02 am Thursday, March 8, 2012
Three local baseball teams will participate in the fourth annual, three-day Brantley/Luverne tournament.
Andalusia, Red Level and Straughn will compete with Brantley, Luverne, Goshen and Greenville in pool play today and tomorrow, and then the tournament will transition to a single elimination format on Saturday.
The Bulldogs (7-1) will face Luverne today at 4 p.m. to start play in Pool B, and then will play a night cap game against Greenville at 6.
Andalusia beat Greenville in a doubleheader Tuesday night 15-0, 8-5.
“We need as many games as we can get in right now with the predominantly young group that we have,” AHS coach Jonathan Rasberry said. “We need as much experience as we can. I hate that we had three games get canceled last week. I think that hurts us.”
The last time Andalusia faced LHS was in this tournament two years ago, Rasberry said.
And, Andalusia’s last loss was against Brantley in the first game of a doubleheader during its second doubleheader contest of the season. AHS beat BHS 10-9 in the second game to split the series.
Rasberry said BHS is as good this year, if not better, than last year.
“They are a very good baseball team,” he said. “As you saw in the first game, they beat us 6-3. They swing the bat pretty well, and they play good defense.
“Fortunately for us, we got back in the game,” he said. “We came back and won that second game. They beat Northview (a Class 6A team) the other day, 3-2. With baseball, some people look at it as (Class) 1A, 4A, 5A.
“The way I look at it is that if you’ve got a good nine, you’ve got a good nine regardless where you’re at,” he said.
Red Level will play BHS at 2 p.m. tomorrow to kick things off for Pool A play. Then, RLS will finish the day at 4:30 against Straughn.
The Tigers (1-2) earned their first win of the season Tuesday night with a 4-2 first-game win over Zion Chapel in area play. ZCHS beat the Tigers 10-9 in the second game.
RLS coach Tony Ingram said this tournament is a good opportunity for the team to improve.
“It’s just a chance for us to get better,” Ingram said. “Defensively, I don’t think other than pitching, I couldn’t ask them to play any better.
“We’ll go give it our shot,” he said.
Straughn enters the tournament 4-2 on the season.
Each team will compete in pool play to determine what seed they will be heading into Saturday’s single elimination play.
The single elimination portion of the tournament will begin at 9 a.m. on Saturday between the No. 3 seed in Pool A, and the No. 4 seed in Pool B at Luverne; and the No. 2 seed in Pool A, and the No. 3 seed in Pool B at Brantley.
The No. 1 seed in Pool B will play the winner of the 9 a.m. game between Pool A’s No. 2 and Pool B’s No. 3 at 11:30 a.m. at Brantley.
The No. 1 seed in Pool A will play at 2 p.m. at Luverne against the winner of the 11:30 game between Pool B’s No. 2 and the winner of the 9 a.m. game between Pool A’s No. 3 and Pool B’s No. 4 seed.
The championship game will be at 4:30 p.m. at Luverne.