Seniors lead Bob Jones to comeback win over Buckhorn
Buckhorn pitcher Zoie Emrick pitches to Nicole Buccieri in action from Wednesday game
(RECORD PHOTO/LINDSAY VAUGHT)
MADISON- Bob Jones needed a win in the worst kind of way in a key area home game against Buckhorn Wednesday afternoon. The Patriots were 0-4 in area games this season and had not won a regular season area game in two years.
But all that came to an end as some seniors stepped up in a big way to lead Bob Jones to a 10-8 come-from-behind win.
“It feels fantastic,” said Cheyenne Beacraft, a senior who smacked two three run home runs. “We all yelled ‘we won an area game’ after we came off the field. We came out here really wanting to beat Buckhorn. That was a tough, high-scoring game.”
For Beacraft it is her second two home run game this season and her eighth on the season.
Buckhorn jumped out to an early 3-0 lead when Kaylee Davis hit a three run home run in the first inning off starting pitcher Annabelle Smith. Bob Jones tied the game when Cheyenne Beacraft smacked a three run home run in the bottom of the first inning.
Buckhorn put up another three runs in the third inning and added two in the fifth. They led 8-5 when Alex Brown, another senior, relieved Smith in the fifth inning. Brown pitched two scoreless innings to give Bob Jones a chance at the comeback.
With Lamesha Russell aboard, Sydney Booker smacked her 12th home run of the season to cut Buckhorns lead to 8-7 in the sixth inning. Avie Gooch had a pinch hit single and Alyssa Warden walked ahead of Beacraft who then belted her second three run shot over the left field fence.
Buckhorn tried to rally and put two runners on base in the seventh but two groundouts to Booker at third base secured the win.
“First area win of the season is huge,” said head coach Kent Chambers. “We started playing well in Birmingham this past weekend. We really hit the ball well and started playing better defense. We had some big hits today and played error-free and that really helped get the win.
Alex came in and pitched well, her drop ball was working really well and we got one ground ball out after another,” Chambers said.
It was the first home game since Bob Jones dropped a 9-3 decision to James Clemens in extra innings.
Sparkman still leads the area race but the final standings won’t be determined until next week when Bob Jones hosts Sparkman in the final week of the regular season.
