Patriots finish off busy 10-game week with wins in Hazel Green

By CALEB ODOM
caleb@themadisonrecord.com

HAZEL GREEN – A Saturday, March 18 road trip to Hazel Green proved productive for the Bob Jones baseball team as the Patriots won two games with plenty of offense.

Bob Jones first took down Hazel Green 14-4 in the early game while the Patriots closed down Corner with a 9-5 score in the second game.

“Our guys played really well to wrap up spring break,” Bob Jones head coach Jared Smith said. “Our guys went (10-1) in the past week and did a great job of finishing off a long week of games.”

The Patriots were able to pepper the Trojans with runs throughout the contest and even chased the University of Alabama commit, Jackson Hunter from the game after just three innings.

Hunter allowed eight runs on seven hits with five strikeouts and five walks.

In the other dugout, Bob Jones turned to Braden Booth to toe the rubber.

The Patriot righthander was solid going five innings allowing four runs on six hits with seven strikeouts and three walks.

Offensively, Bob Jones used the red-hot bat of second baseman Jacob Pearl who ended up with two hits and a walk with five RBIs.

Sammy Vander Hill’s 3 for 3 day that included a pair of walks and four runs scored played a major part in the Patriots’ dominance.

Shortstop Nathan Mayfield also stood out with two hits and two RBIs in the victory.

Bob Jones notched a run in the first two innings to grab a 2-0 advantage after two innings.

A 3-spot in the top of the third inning expanded the Patriots’ lead to 5, but a couple of subsequent runs by Hazel Green in the bottom of the third promptly made it 5-2 Bob Jones.

The Patriots swiftly answered the Trojans’ shot across the bow in the top of the fourth with three more runs to make the score 8-2 Bob Jones.

The fifth inning featured both teams scoring two runs each that made the scoreboard read 10-4 Patriots.

A 4-run top of the sixth was the final dagger for Hazel Green as the Trojans were mercifully run-ruled after six innings of punishment.

Game 2: Bob Jones 9, Corner 5
The Patriots closed out the day with a second victory over the Corner Yellow Jackets.

Just like in the first game, it was Jacob Pearl who led the charge offensively for Bob Jones with his three RBIs on two hits.

Braden Booth moved over to third base where he collected a pair of hits and two RBIs.

Bob Jones right fielder CJ Bush contributed with a couple of runs scored and two hits as well.

The Patriots sent Sam Mitchell to the mound and the Yellow Jackets were able to score three runs in the top of the third to lead 3-0.

Mitchell, who ended up with four strikeouts and a walk, was lifted after the third inning for Tanner Hermesch.

In relief, Hermesch was lights out for Bob Jones, going three scoreless innings with just two hits and seven strikeouts.

The Patriots began to cut into Corner’s early lead in the bottom of the third inning with a run to make the score 3-1.

With the door cracked open, Bob Jones proceeded to kick it off its hinges in the bottom of the fourth inning with a massive 5-run frame.

Three more runs in the bottom of fifth inning for the Patriots expanded their grip on the game to 9-3.

The Yellow Jackets were able to scratch out two more runs in the top of the seventh, but Bob Jones had a big enough lead to withstand the late rally.