Patriots thrash Winfield City 11-0 in Saturday double-header, plus score wins over Cullman and Buckhorn

By Caleb Odom (caleb@themadsonrecord.com)

MADISON — The Patriots made it look easy in the second game of a Saturday double-header with an 11-0 five-inning beating of Winfield City on Saturday, March 25 at home.

Bob Jones left fielder Aidan Doyle punished the Pirates in two at bats with two hits and four RBIs.

Braden Booth was a force on the mound and at the plate for the Patriots as the right-hander closed out his weekend with five scoreless innings of one-hit ball that included seven strikeouts and just one walk.

“Braden Booth is really heating up,” Bob Jones head coach Jared Smith said.

“He started a little slow this year on the mound and wasn’t pitching like he was capable and he has really figured it out the last two or three times and really you just kind of sit over here and let him go to work.”

At the plate, Booth did his part there as well with a walk, two hits and a RBI for the red-hot Patriots who have won nine straight games and 15 out of their last 16.

The three Bob Jones runs in the bottom of the first inning were sparked by first baseman Reece Cato, who knocked in a pair with his one-out single.

“I got to two strikes and just saw a pitch away,” Cato said.

“And I saw that there was a big hole in the middle of the field. So I was not trying to do too much, just get a hard ground ball up the middle and it scored two.”

Doyle accounted for the third run of the first inning with an RBI single that plated Cato.

Just like that, Bob Jones was off and running.

Booth followed up the offensive momentum the Patriots had built by striking out the side in the top of the second inning.

“I was just trying to get up there and throw strikes,” Booth said.

“My team gave me a lead, so I was just trying to get a quick inning and get us back hitting so we could score more runs.”

No. 17’s plan worked because Bob Jones was just getting started with the bats as the game moved into the bottom of the second.

The Patriots went off in the second inning with five more runs to make the score 8-0 Bob Jones.

The moment that really stood out was when the bases were loaded with two outs and Doyle launched a ball deep to left center.

“Not gonna lie, I thought it was out,” Doyle said with a big grin.

“I kind of pimped it a little bit but, it always feels good to put a ball off of the wall and get three RBIs with it.”

Doyle’s swing sent the ball off of the barrier and a Winfield outfielder crashing into the fence with a sickening crunch that sounded like a goose flying into a garage door.

“We had an incident the other week where some dude like smacked into the wall and got blood everywhere,” Doyle said.

“I thought it was going to be a part two of that. I’m glad he’s ok.”

By the bottom of the third inning, Bob Jones had turned the base path into a conga line with three more runs that made the advantage 11-0.

The starting hitters were removed for bench players who sent the Patriot dugout into a frenzy of whoops and cheers.

When Bryan Roop came in to bat for Cato, his teammates lovingly jeered him as he searched for something to drive.

Roop popped the ball up to first for what appeared to be an out and began to run toward first base.

But the ball drifted and the Winfield first baseman dropped the chance causing the Patriots dugout to explode with glee for Roop who reached on the error.

With the game seemingly well in hand, the only question left appeared to be if Booth was going to throw a no-hitter.

The Pirates had other thoughts as Hayden Ballard dashed the no-no in the top of the fourth with a leadoff single.

What happened next might have been some of the best play from the Bob Jones team as it completed three consecutive defensive gems to keep Winfield stifled.

First, a dribbler toward the mound was initially dropped by the pitcher Booth but he recovered with a swift under-hand flip to first base to record the out.

The second was a ground ball to the Bob Jones shortstop that was gloved and then nearly lost before being thrown at the last second to narrowly get the runner out at first.

The final out of the top of the fourth inning showcased Booth at his best as the pitcher pounced on a ball that was near home plate.

The Patriot hurler turned around and threw a laser to first base to send the batter back to the dugout with nothing but more disappointment.

Due to lopsided score, the game was run-ruled after five innings.

Friday, March 24: Bob Jones 11, Cullman 4

Reece Cato led the charge for the Patriots with his 3-hit four RBI performance against Cullman on Friday.

Game One Saturday, March 25: Bob Jones 7, Buckhorn 5 (8 Innings)

Bob Jones was tied 2-2 after seven innings with Buckhorn in the first game of a Saturday double-header.

The Bucks collected three runs in the top of the eighth inning to grab a 5-2 lead.

The Patriots stormed back in the bottom of the eighth to score five runs that included a walkoff 3-run home run by Sam Mitchell.