Ridgeland drops two of three to Central
The Ridgeland Panthers opened a three-game series with the Central-Carroll Lions with a big win early last week, but fell in extra inning in Game 2 of the series on Friday before the Lions turned the tables on their guests in Friday’s nightcap.
Now at 4-13 overall and 3-9 in Region 7-AAAA, Ridgeland will begin a three-game series with Northwest Whitfield with a game in Tunnel Hill on Tuesday (5:30 p.m.) of this week before the Bruins come to Rossville for a doubleheader on Friday (5 p.m.).
Ridgeland 14, Central 0
The Panthers scored 11 times in the bottom of the second inning last Tuesday and rolled to a five-inning victory at Jay Smith Field.
Isaac Pitts and Nolan Hughley capped the huge inning with back-to-back doubles which plated three runs.
Pitts finished 3 for 4 with two RBIs and two runs scored, while Hughley, along with Aiden Raymer and Jordan McLin, went 2 for 3 with a pair of RBIs. Curtis Wells doubled and scored twice, while Hudson Couch and Robert Jent each picked up one RBI.
Jent pitched four innings of one-hit ball with four walks and seven strikeouts, while Raymer threw in the fifth, allowing one hit and striking out one.
Central 4, Ridgeland 3
Friday’s doubleheader opener would go into the eighth before the Lions pushed across the winning run.
Hughley had two hits in three at-bats, including a double, and picked up an RBI. Pitts also went 2 for 3. Curtis Wells had a double and knocked in two runs, while Chris Maddeaux added a single.
Hayden Brewer pitched seven solid innings for the Panthers, allowing just one earned run on four hits with three walks and five strikeouts. Aiden Raymer threw two-thirds of an inning, giving up an unearned run on two hits and one walk.
Central 13, Ridgeland 5
The Lions trailed 4-2 going into the bottom of the fifth when they erupted for 10 runs to blow the game wide open.
Maddeaux, Raymer and Hudson Couch each had two hits for Ridgeland, while Raymer scored twice and had a double. McLin singled and had an RBI for the Panthers, while Pitts and Wells added one single each.
Jent, Raymer, Wells and Austyn Acuff all pitched for Ridgeland, combining to give up six earned runs on five hits with nine walks and eight strikeouts.