Bolden, Jeans lead PG past L-E
The seniors shined for Pleasant Grove on Tuesday.
Caleb Bolden hit two home runs, and Tyler Jeans did not allow an earned run as the fourth-ranked Hawks clinched the District 14-4A championship with an 11-1 win over cross-town rival Liberty-Eylau at Hawk Field.
“We talked to the team all year and told them that hitting is contagious,” Hawk head coach Riley Fincher said. “Caleb scorched a ball in the third, and it just carried over to the rest of the guys; that is a good senior leader.
“Tyler filled up the strike zone early in the count, got his fastball and off-speed pitches across, and it was an outstanding performance. Being district champions is great, but all of our focus right now is on North Lamar on Friday.”
Jeans threw a 5-hitter, had 5 Ks, and improved to 8-0. Bolden belted a solo homer in the third and a 2-run shot to left field in the fourth.
“We played hard, but we just didn’t play well enough to win,” Leopard head coach Zach Fowler said. “We played better than we have tonight and that’s all that really matters. We’ll try to win on Friday.”
Liberty-Eylau got on the board first when Cutter Webb hit a leadoff single through the hole at short and scored on an error. It would be the only run for the Leopards.
Carson Cox slapped a double to right center and later scored on an error for Pleasant Grove to even it at 1-all after two frames.
Bolden slugged a homer in the third, and Jeans hit an RBI single to center to score Heath Ferguson, who had singled to put the Hawks up 3-1.
Cade Thompson had a single with two outs in the fourth, and Bolden clubbed his second homer of the game as PG took a 5-1 lead.
The Hawks put six runs across in the fifth to earn the win. Jeans singled, Connor Ouellette singled and Will Hlavinka walked to load the bases. Jackson Cobb got an RBI when he was hit by a pitch.
Thompson smacked a 2-run single
to right, and Bolden was intentionally walked. Cox laced in a 2-run single to center to put the Hawks up 10-1. Keaton Russo hit the game-ending single to score Bolden.
PG stranded five on base, while the Leopards left six.
Liberty-Eylau (9-16, 2-6) plays at Paris at 7:30 p.m. Friday, and Pleasant Grove (24-2, 8-0) plays at North Lamar at 7 p.m. Friday.