Opp and Covington County’s 12U Cal Ripken All-Stars got off to strong starts in the state tournament with Opp locking up the No. 1 seed for bracket play and Covington County clinched the No. 2 seed.

 

OPP 11, EVERGREEN 0

 

In the opening game of pool play, Opp trounced Evergreen 11-0 in three innings.

Lane Ballard reached safely to start the contest, and scored off a single from Brady James to give Opp an early 1-0 lead. Jesse Coon reached on an error, and Hal Smithart delivered with a single to score James.

A few batters later, Chandler Pyron drove in Smithart and Coon with a two-run single. Case Short then crushed a double to the fence allowing Pryon to come around to score to put Opp up 5-0 in the top of the first inning.

On the mound, Thomas Glisson got Evergreen’s leadoff man out on strikes, and produced groundouts from the next to hitters for a perfect first inning.

Ballard lead off the top of the second inning for Opp, and was plunked by a pitch to start the at-bat. James followed by reaching first safely on an error by Evergreen’s third baseman.

Ballard and James later came around to score on a throwing error from Evergreen’s shortstop to give Opp a 7-0 lead.

Glisson continued to dominate on the mound, striking out the side in order in the bottom of the second inning.

In the top of the third, Pyron was hit by a pitch to start the inning, and Jackson Pierce followed with a double to the fence.

Glisson helped his own cause next when he ripped a two-run double into outfield that scored Pyron and Pierce to give Opp a 9-0 lead.

Ballard then drove in Glisson with a double to go up 10-0.

After stealing third, Ballard scored on a sacrifice fly off the bat of James to put Opp up 11-0.

In the bottom of the third, Glisson got a groundout and a strikeout to start the inning before giving up a double. The Evergreen player then attempted to steal third, but was gunned down by Opp catcher Wyatt Horn to end the ballgame.

Glisson picked up the win on the mound for Opp after only allowing a single base runner, and striking out five batters in three innings.

 

COVINGTON COUNTY 1, CHILDERSBURG 0

 

Covington County starting pitcher Jon Jon Dewrell was lights out in Sunday’s 1-0 win over Childersburg that clinched the No. 2 seed for Covington County.

Dewrell gave up a soft single to the right side of the infield to start the contest, but quickly settled in and got the next two batters out on strikeouts and the third out on a fly ball.

It was a tough start at the plate of the Covington County hitters, as the Childersburg starting pitcher retired the side in order in the bottom of the first inning.

In the top of the second, Dewrell struck out the first batter of the inning before giving up a walk and an error. Aden Amis then hosed the runner attempting to steal third for the second out of the inning. Dewrell responded by striking out the next batter of the third out.

Childersburg got the first two batters of the bottom of the second inning out before Mason Turner drew a walk for Covington County’s first base runner, but a strikeout from the next batter ended the inning.

Dewrell picked up a strikeout to start the third inning, but an error allowed the next batter to reach first safely. Dewrell responded by inducing a ground ball that the Covington County middle infielders turned into a double play to end the threat.

In the top of the fifth inning, Childersburg got a leadoff single, and then got runners on first and second with one-out. Dewrell stood strong and got a fly ball out to Braxton Lee playing right field for the second out, and then Dewrell carved up the next batter for the third out.

Covington County then went three-up-three down in the bottom of the fifth, and still hadn’t recorded a hit in the contest.

Dewrell got a strikeout to start the top of the sixth, but then gave up a double to second batter. It still didn’t faze Dewrell, as he struck out the next batter and got a pop out to Jake Wilson at shortstop to end the top half of the sixth.

In the bottom of the sixth, Bryson Pate ripped a single for his teams first hit of the game. Pate then moved up to second on a passed ball. Lee followed with a sacrifice hit that moved Pate up to third base. Next up, Wilson poked an opposite field single into right field that allowed Pate to score the winning run with ease.

Dewrell picked up the win on the mound, and struck out eight batters in the contest.