Bob Jones post-season run ends in the final four
MADISON- Dreams of a state championship in baseball for Bob Jones will have to wait until next year. For the second straight week Hewitt-Trussville ended the season for team from Madison City. Friday night, the Huskies defeated Bob Jones 8-5 in game one and in the nightcap the Huskies rallied for two runs in their final at bat to claim a 5-4 win and advance to the AHSAA Baseball Championship.
Bob Jones came within one out of forcing a deciding game three on Saturday but an injury to Caden Rose in game one left the Patriots with holes in their infield and in their pitching order.
Rose’s left ankle was spiked and rolled up on in a play at second base and he could not play in the field in the second game. He played designated hitter and still managed to drive in two runs including the go ahead run on a single in the fourth. But he was limited running the bases.
Rose tried to tough it out and close out game two but it was the Huskies Jacob Bishop who hit a single with the bases loaded to flip the outcome.
“We were a double play ball away from playing tomorrow,” Bob Jones head baseball coach Jared Smith said. “Caden got banged up and was slowed down on the bases and we were hesitant to use him on the mound but he’s a competitor and he warmed up and said he wanted the ball. Hats off to the them, they had great at bats both games. We had chances to extend the lead and we didn’t. We just ran out of gas. I was pleased with the way the guys played. We needed three outs to get to tomorrow and we didn’t get them,”
Cam Hill started for Bob Jones in game one but the Patriots fell behind and not even a Dylan Ray three-run home run in the seventh was enough. In game two Austin East started and lasted 1 plus inning with Andrew Wright relieving. Wright was in line to get the win going three and a third innings and allowing no runs.
Smith thought his team was a year or two away from making a serious run but last week’s dominating performance against Huntsville had him believing this team could win it all.
“We made it a little further than I thought we would. I knew we were talented but we’re so young and in 7A baseball it’s tough. We didn’t have a senior on the field today. Our ultimate goal is still to win a state championship but we just didn’t make enough plays tonight.”
Despite the loss Bob Jones made tremendous strides going from missing the playoffs last year to winning two playoff series and making the final four. They set the school record for wins in a season and won the area in the process.
“We’re not going to hang our heads about this loss,” Smith said. “We did a lot of great things this year and we got a lot of players returning. This is something we plan on doing year after year. It was great playing in this atmosphere with this many fans and bringing the alumni back.”
