Trojans stomp Hornets

PARKERS CHAPEL - A year ago, Parkers Chapel lost three of their four meetings against Harmony Grove.

In their first encounter in 2018, the Trojans turned the tables on the Hornets, scoring nine runs in the opening inning en route to a 10-1 win in Class 1A-2A District 15 play on Monday.

The win is the seventh straight for the Trojans (18-6, 7-0), who have also won 11 of their last 12 games since spring break.

Michael Brotherton turned in a sterling performance on the mound, taking a perfect game into the fourth before surrendering just three hits and one run over five-plus innings. He walked two and struck out two.

“Michael pitched a really good ballgame,” said Parkers Chapel coach Mark Looney. “He changed speeds. He had them out front all day long, and we played some defense. It helps any pitcher if you put up a nine-spot up in the first inning. That was huge for us, and it dictated the whole ballgame.”

The Trojans sent 12 men to the plate as part of their uprising in the first.

Reid Cates opened the inning by reaching an error after his grounder to third was misplayed, and Brotherton followed with a sacrifice bunt.

Jordan Arrington then opened the scoring by lining a double just fair down the left-field line to score Cates.

Trace Shoup followed by lacing a base hit to center to score Arrington to make it 2-0, but it was just the beginning for the Trojans.

Reece Griffin was hit by a pitch to put runners at first and second, and Shoup scored after Tyler Martin’s grounder to third was misplayed for an error to extend the lead to 3-0.

Thomas Hardy followed with a bunt to the thirdbase side of the pitcher’s mound for an infield single to load the bases, and Austin Looney drew a walk to force in a run to give the Trojans a 4-0 edge.

Grayson Hurst then hit a grounder to shortstop that Gannon Bearden snared, but his throw to the plate to get Martin was late, and Parkers Chapel led 5-0.

Hardy was forced out at the plate on Cates’ grounder to third, but with two outs, Brotherton

and Arrington delivered a pair of big hits.

Brotherton went to the opposite field, as his flare down the right-field line landed just fair for a two-run double to make it 7-0.

With runners now at second and third, Arrington came up with his second hit of the inning, a two-run single to center to cap the scoring in the frame.

“It was nice for us to come out and get some hits and make some things happen offensively and put the pressure on them,” Looney said. “I’m just real proud of the way that we came out of the gate, and the way Michael pitched today.”

Staked to a big lead, Brotherton retired the first 10 batters of the game, and he got some help from his defense.

In the third, Cates made a good play on Bo Jackson’s slow roller to second to retire the Hornets’ right fielder, and Martin threw out Zach Smith on a bangbang play at first on a high-chopper to third.

In the fourth, Shoup, the Trojans’ shortstop, made a good scoop on a dribbler over the mound to throw out Gabriel Langley.

The Hornets scored their lone run in the sixth on a bases-loaded walk to Carson Everett.

Griffin took over for Brotherton in the sixth with the bases loaded, nobody out and a run in, and the senior slammed the door on the Hornets.

Griffin fanned Bearden for the inning’s first out before getting Landon McMahen to bounce into a 1-2-3 double play to end the inning.

Shoup scored on a wild pitch in the

bottom of the sixth to account for the Trojans’ final run.

Arrington went 2-for-3 with three RBIs, while Hardy was 2-for-3 with a walk and Shoup was 2-for-4 for the Trojans, who had 10 hits.

Harmony Grove’s Jakob Garner went 2-for-3, but also took the loss.

SMACKOVER 9, MCGEHEE 1

SMACKOVER - Cade Schibler struck out 14 as part of a four-hitter, and Nick Impson belted a grand slam for the Bucks (11-13, 8-4), who picked up a key win in Class 3A-4A District 12 play.

The win brings the Bucks another step closer to sewing up the No. 2 seed for the district tournament.

The Bucks trailed 1-0 before scoring three runs in the fourth.

Josh Saulsbury, Impson and Schibler all drew walks, and Jacob Eubanks tied the game with a sacrifice fly.

Baylor Brumley then put the Bucks ahead with a two-run single.

Smackover put the game away in the sixth.

After Forrest Harrison walked and took second on Eubanks’ sacrifice bunt, Brumley and Jordan Brock walked to load the bases.

Noah Wilson collected an RBI by getting hit with a pitch, and Tucker Evans drew a bases-loaded walk to force in another run.

That set the stage for Impson, who crushed his aforementioned grand slam off of Smackover’s new scoreboard in left-center.

In a dominant performance, Schibler allowed just four singles and walked two.

Evans, Saulsbury, Impson, Brumley and Wilson each had one hit for the Bucks, who play at Drew Central today.