Ramblers battle back after tough start

Kade Cowan and Gordon Lee picked up their first win of 2023 with a victory at Calhoun last week.

After dropping four straight to begin the season, the LaFayette Ramblers rallied to win four straight before dropping a tough game to Trion to end the week.

LAFAYETTE 10, DADE COUNTY 5

Following a 12-9 win at North Murray last Monday and an 11-1 victory over Chattooga a day later, which was highlighted by a grand slam from Nick Adams, the Ramblers made it four wins in a row last Wednesday by doubling up the Wolverines in Trenton.

Both teams collected 10 hits on the evening, but the Ramblers played error-free defense, while the Wolverines committed seven costly miscues.

Lafayette scored three times in the third and blew the game open with six runs in the fourth before tacking on a solo run in the fifth.

Isaiah Mckenzie had two hits, including a double. He drove in four and scored twice. Adams was 2 for 3 with a double and two RBIS. Bryson Cleghorn went 2 for 4, Jathan Harding had two RBIS and Braxton Kilgo knocked in one run.

Adams also pitched the first four innings. He gave up four earned runs on nine hits and a pair of walks, while finishing with seven strikeouts. Hunter Jefferies surrendered just one hit and fanned five hitters in 2.2 innings of relief, while Brandon Corbin worked one-third of an inning and struck out one batter.

TRION 12, LAFAYETTE 11

The Ramblers’ attempt for a five-game streak looked favorable after Zain Smith’s three-run homer in the top of the sixth inning on Thursday. However, the Bulldogs answered with three runs in the bottom of the seventh to win a wild slugfest.

The Ramblers were down 9-2 after four innings, but scored three times in each of the next three frames with Smith’s bomb giving them an 11-9 lead.

But an error, a double and an intentional walk would set the table for Trion in their last at-bat. The two tying runs raced home on Lafayette’s second error of the inning before an Rbi-double ended the game.

Smith went 3 for 4 and scored four times to go with his three RBIS. Harding had two hits, including a double, and also picked up three

RBIS, while Mckenzie was 1 for 3 and scored three times.

Adams and Bryce Careathers each drove in a pair of runs, and Kadin Smith went 1 for 2 and scored twice.

Jefferies pitched four innings and allowed four hits and four walks with two strikeouts. Brennon Beavers surrendered six hits and three walks in two innings, striking out two, while Kort Brown faced one batter in the seventh. Jefferies took the loss as the pitcher of record.

More on the Ramblers’ games from last week can be found on our website.