FC powers past Cathedral
Published 5:00 am Monday, March 19, 2007
BUDE – By the time the Natchez Cathedral Green Wave could blinkin the fourth inning, their lead had disappeared. Rallying from a2-0 deficit, the Franklin County Diamond Dawgs scored five runs offsix straight hits to secure a 5-3 victory over Cathedral. It wasthe Bulldogs sixth win in-a-row.
Franklin County (9-6) resumes play Tuesday night, hosting SouthPike. The first game begins at 5 p.m.
“The last two weeks our pitching’s done a pretty good job,” saidBulldog head coach Jeremy Loy. “Blaine Abernathy and Ryan Ratcliffhave done the bulk for us, and Colton Laird and Ben McDowell havedone a good job in relief for us. Pitching hasn’t been ourproblem.”
Thursday afternoon, the Bulldog hurlers made sure Cathedralwasn’t going to be a problem. The Green Wave came into the game up1-0 in the season’s two game series, FCHS lost last month 2-0 inNatchez.
With revenge on their minds, the Bulldogs used a bases loadedclearing triple by sophomore outfielder Jordan Hunt to give FC a4-2 lead. Junior first baseman Ben McDowell would knock Hunt innext, with a RBI single.
The offensive explosion was enough to give Blaine Abernathy, theBulldogs 6-2 junior right handed pitcher enough support to win.Abernathy replaced FC starter Ryan Ratcliff, pitching three inningsallowing one run and striking out three.
Freshmen sensation Colton Laird gained the save, striking onebatter out in pitching the sixth and seventh innings.
Cathedral (9-4), coached by Craig Beesley was led offensively bysophomore Preston Edwards with a double and a single. JesseMorrison and Aaron White added two singles.
Edwards absorbed the loss on the mound.
For the Bulldogs, senior catcher Cable McMinn and McDowell eachhad two singles apiece. Senior centerfielder Dane Hodges plated adouble. Hunt’s three-RBI triple led all batters.