Amory pounds out 15 hits as Panthers take Game 1 from Seminary in MHSAA Class 3A Baseball Championship
PEARL — It took a while, but Amory got going when it mattered.
The Panthers used two big innings to race past Seminary 9-1 in Game 1 of the MHSAA Class 3A State Championship series Friday evening at Trustmark Park.
Game 2 of the series is set for 4 p.m. Saturday afternoon.
“We came out just so tight we kept making base running mistakes, but we were hitting and pressing. The big hit from McComb finally got us on the board and everything else fell in to place,” said Amory coach Chris Pace. “Sledge has struggled in the playoffs, but today only giving up two hits, he did what he had to do.”
Seminary scored the game’s first run — and the Bulldogs' only run — in the bottom of the first as Donovan Hale scored on a wild pitch to give the Bulldogs a 1-0 lead.
The scored stayed that way until the top of the sixth as nine-hole hitter Will McComb hit a bases clearing double down the left field line to give Amory a 3-1 lead.
“I had a 2-0 count, so I got the pitch I wanted which was middle in and I put a good swing on it,” McComb said. “In the state championship, everyone is going to be tense at first, but the hit got us going and we stringed together some hits after that in the second half of the game. Tomorrow, we just need to continue to hit the ball and we will be fine.”
Reed Stanford followed with an RBI single to left to extend the Panthers lead to 4-1. Stanford had three hits to lead Amory offensively.
Amory tacked on five runs in the top of the seventh to extend their lead to 9-1 on an RBI single by Clayton Reese, a two-run double from Sledge and a wild pitch.
“We waited a little longer to get the bats going, but Will is an extra leadoff hitter, and he finds ways to get on base,” Pace said. “Sledge did everything he could give us and found a way to win.”
Tyler Sledge (8-3) got the win on the mound for Amory tossing a complete game two-hitter, allowed one run, walked five and struck out eight.
“I could locate my fastball anywhere in the zone and was getting weak contact,” Sledge said. “We hit well tonight, but it was untimely hits and when we finally started hitting the ball around the field late in the game and scoring runs, we finally built confidence.”
Wade Barr (3-1) took the loss on the mound for Seminary. Logan Craft had two hits to lead the Bulldogs (23-14).
