Allen’s resilient outing, opportunistic offense lead Calhoun
able and settle in on the mound, however. The crafty southpaw was dialed in over the next four frames and eventually picked up the win, allowing zero additional runs after the first and only permitting three more hits. Before he was relieved by Brett Potts in the sixth, Allen had racked up 11 strikeouts and stayed ahead in the count by tossing 12 firstpitch strikes.
“We knew that LFO is a much better team than they have been in years past, and they came out and jumped on us early,” Calhoun head coach Chip Henderson said. “Fortunately, Davis got stronger for us as the game went on. He’s just a competitor, and his will to compete is what gets him through a tough stretch. We know what we are going to get from him each time he steps on the mound, and we are fully confident he will get the job done.”
With Allen keeping the opposing bats quiet, the Jackets’ offense supported him by putting together one its most balanced and patient performances of the season, totaling seven runs on eight hits and drawing six walks against Warriors’ starting pitcher Riley Mosier. Eight of the nine Calhoun starting hitters reached base in the contest.
After LFO’s initial two-run frame, Calhoun answered immediately with Carson Kemp roping a double into the right-center gap, Bryson Trammell executing a perfect bunt single and Potts knocking in Kemp by slicing a RBI-single into right.
“The ability to play small ball was a big key tonight,” Henderson said. “If it is utilized properly, small ball can bust open a game, and I think the way we were able to get our bunts down and run the bases was one of the primary reasons we were successful tonight.”
Calhoun kept the pressure on Mosier in the second, with Potts coasting home on a base on balls after Mosier loaded the bases by walking Payton Morrow and Kemp and hitting Trammell with a pitch. Ben King then tacked onto the lead by lacing an RBI-single into the outfield grass with the bases still occupied to push the total to 4-2. King finished 2-for-3 at the plate with two singles.
“I think plate discipline was also a huge factor for us,” Henderson said. “We knew that Mosier was struggling a little bit so we didn’t want to let him off the hook by chasing pitches. We were able to track pitches well as the game went on, and it seemed like we got more comfortable with each pitch we were able to see.”
The Jackets would add three more additional insurance runs in the third. After Parker McPherson and Morrow both contributed base hits, Kemp connected fully on a two-RBI double up the middle to increase the scoring margin to 6-2. Potts was responsible for the last piece of damage, putting the ball in play for a run-generating fielder’s choice that brought in Kemp, who also finished the evening 2-for-3 at the dish from the leadoff spot.
In addition to his 2-for3, three-RBI day as one of Calhoun’s steadiest run producers, Potts was also called upon to shut the door on the Warriors from the mound over the final two innings. He was sharp, picking up four strikeouts while giving up just two hits and one walk in the relief effort to secure a Jackets victory.
“Once Davis reached his pitch limit, we turned it over to Potts, who was solid as usual and nailed down the win,” Henderson said. “It’s a huge victory for us, and it puts us back in the thick of things in the region standings, but the schedule doesn’t get any easier from here on out. We just have to keep our focus on the next game.”
The Jackets were back at home on Thursday to host rival Sonoraville. (For details on that game, see Wednesday’s Calhoun Times.) They will visit Ringgold for another huge Region 6-AAA showdown on Friday at 5:55 p.m.