Ridgeland takes 2 of 3 against Northwest
After falling short by just two runs last Tuesday, the Ridgeland Panthers returned home on Friday to face Northwest Whitfield in the final two games of their three-game Region 7-AAAA series and this time, things would be different.
The Panthers got an absolute gem from senior pitcher Robert Jent in the opener before they took advantage of some poor defense by the Bruins in the nightcap to sweep the doubleheader and claim the series victory.
Northwest 3, Ridgeland 1
The Panthers put up a fight in Tunnel Hill in the first game of the Region 7-AAAA series and held a 1-0 lead into the fifth before giving up three runs.
Austyn Acuff scored the only run for the Panthers off a single by Isaac Pitts. Ridgeland got a runner to second base in the seventh and had the tying run at the plate, but were unable to score any more runs.
Curtis Wells pitched six solid innings. He gave up seven hits and two walks and allowed three earned runs, while finishing with four strikeouts.
Ridgeland 1, Northwest 0
Jent was the story in Friday’s doubleheader opener as he allowed just two hits in seven innings. He walked three batters and fanned 14 to pitch the Panthers to the victory.
The game’s only run came in the bottom of the third inning. After two consecutive groundouts to start off the frame, Pitts scampered to first on a wild pitch on what should have been the final strike of the inning. He would steal second and third base before racing home on a wild pitch.
Northwest would put runners at the corners in the fourth, had runners at first and second in the fifth and got a runner on first in the sixth, but Jent and the Ridgeland defense slammed the door all three times.
Acuff had the only hit of the game for the Panthers.
Ridgeland 9, Northwest 3
The Panthers had just six hits in the
nightcap, but took advantage of the seven costly Bruin errors to claim the win and sweep the twinbill.
Hudson Couch had a triple and two RBIs and Aiden Raymer had a triple and one RBI in the victory. Pitts, along with Acuff, Wells and Nolan Hughley, all added singles, while Wells, Dyllan Curtis and Chris Maddeaux each drove in one run.
Hayden Brewer struck out seven batters and walked four in five innings of work. He gave up four hits and a pair of unearned runs in the victory. Raymer, Acuff and Maddeaux combined to throw two innings out of the bullpen.
Ridgeland (5-16, 4-11) will close out the year with three games against Pickens this week. The final two will be at home on Friday.