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Page 4B | Wednesday, May 17, 2017 Monroe Journal MELISSA MEADOR/BUY AT PHOTOS.MONROECOUNTYJOURNAL.COM Smithville’s Blayde Scott went four innings and allowed just two hits in Game 2 on Saturday. MELISSA MEADOR/BUY AT PHOTOS.MONROECOUNTYJOURNAL.COM Smithville’s Stuart Coggins celebrates af- ter his RBI double drives in the final run of the game on Sunday. MELISSA MEADOR/BUY AT PHOTOS.MONROECOUNTYJOURNAL.COM Smithville’s Dustin Moffett drove in the first run of the game on Sunday with an RBI single. MELISSA MEADOR/BUY AT PHOTOS.MONROECOUNTYJOURNAL.COM Smithville coach Jamie Russell hugs senior Heath Noe after their win on Sunday. JANICE HOWELL/FOR THE MONROE JOURNAL Smithville’s Chris Lockhart picked up the Game 1 win on Thursday, going six innings and allowing five hits. MELISSA MEADOR/BUY AT PHOTOS.MONROECOUNTYJOURNAL.COM Smithville’s Heath Noe pitched in relief in Games 1 and 2 and went 5 for 9 at the plate with 3 RBI in the series. JANICE HOWELL/FOR THE MONROE JOURNAL Smithville’s Jared Johnson celebrates on second base after his two-out, two-run double in the Game 1 win over TCPS. everyone was mad and wanted to be out there. We couldn’t let them beat us again on our ield like last year.” The irst run was all Johnson would need as he worked out of a couple situations with runners on. The Eagles even threatened in the inal two innings, but twice Johnson grabbed key strikeouts, and the inal out was made by a grounder hit to Lockhart at third base. “Everyone was frustrated af- ter last night, but we just tried to be positive today. This is a great group of seniors,” Russell said. “I’ve been lucky to come in here and be a part of it. They’ve had some experience in the playoffs, and now we have to go get two more.” Melissa Meador Game 2: TCPS grabs walkoff win The move to intentionally walk TCPS’s John Mark Jolly in the bottom of the seventh didn’t pay off for the Noles as Easton Hood ended up hitting a walkoff RBI single for a 3-2 Eagles’ win and to split the series at 1-1. “It’s the beneit of being at home and getting the last at bat,” TCPS coach Will Lowrey said. “We don’t take that lightly at all. You have to credit both pitch- ers because it was a well-played game. We missed opportunities as they did as well.” TCPS grabbed the 2-0 lead in the bottom of the irst on an er- ror on inield single by Kamryn Randolph, an error on a bunt by Cade Hall and a sac ly by John Mark Jolly. Jolly was the star on the mound for the Eagles as he kept Smith- ville off the board until the sixth inning. The Noles stranded the bases loaded three times against Jolly, who struck out 10 and scattered ive hits but eventually took a no decision. Smithville tied the game in the sixth when Peyton Blair led off with a double and a walk to Au- brey Cox and an inield single to Dustin Moffett loaded the bases. Heath Noe brought home the run with an inield single to sec- ond base, his second hit of the game after a ifth-inning double, and Stuart Coggins drew a bas- es-loaded walk. The Eagles stayed off the board for ive innings, thanks to a com- bined effort on the mound by Blayde Scott and Noe but came through in the bottom of the sev- enth. Randolph led off with his third hit of the game, a bunt single and with two outs, Jolly was in- tentionally walked. Hood came through with the game-winning hit into right ield. In the top of the seventh, Smithville put two on when Jared Johnson was hit by a pitch and Cox singled, but were unable to score. “We had opportunities, and their kid (Jolly) threw a great game,” Smithville coach Jamie Russell said. “We didn’t take ad- vantage when we should have.” Melissa Meador Game 1: Lockhart shines on the mound Smithville senior Chris Lock- hart wasn’t ready for the base- ball season to end. He held Tupelo Christian Prep to one run through six innings on the mound and then made the inal out from third base. While Lockhart was keeping the Eagles in check, the Noles were scoring ive runs to take a 5-1 win in the irst game of the North half inals on Thursday night in Smithville. The Eagles got their irst base- runner when Heath Noe’s throw from deep in the hole at short- stop pulled irst baseman Stuart Coggins off the bag. After Kam- ryn Randolph stole second with two out, John Mark Jolly was in- tentionally walked, and Lockhart got out of the inning with a pop- up to short. The Noles took the lead for good in the bottom of the irst. Noe lead off with a bunt single, and Wesley Grier drew a walk. Two outs later, Jared Johnson slammed a double off the left center wall for two RBI and a 2-0 lead. After two quick outs in the third, Johnson drew a walk, and TCPS coach Will Lowrey made a move, sending freshman Hous- ton Collier to the mound. Peyton Blair and Blayde Scott greeted him with base hits, and Johnson scored from second when the left ielder had trouble ielding the ball. A walk and two singles plated a TCPS run, and the Eagles had a runner at third when Noe went deep in the hole at short for the third out. The Noles added a couple of insurance runs in the bottom of the sixth with a walk and two hits. Aubrey Cox walked with one out, and Dustin Moffett singled to left. Noe slapped a line drive to center ield, and both Cox and Moffett raced home. When the centerielder let the ball roll past him, Noe advanced to third. Cog- gins was intentionally walked, but a strikeout ended prevented further damage. When Lockhart walked the leadoff batter in the top of the seventh, Smithville coach Ja- mie Russell made his way to the mound. “I was hoping to go the dis- tance,” Lockhart said. “But my arm was getting tired, and Coach Russell made the change.” Noe struck out the irst two Eagles he faced, but the next batter smashed a ground ball down the third base line. Lock- hart made a back-handed grab and threw to Coggins at irst to end the game. “Chris battled on the mound and gave us a chance,” Russell said. “We had good pitching, good hitting and good defense.” Rob Williams Noles FROM 1B MELISSA MEADOR/BUY AT PHOTOS.MONROECOUNTYJOURNAL.COM Smithville players slide in the outfield grass after clinching their trip to state on Sunday.
