By DON FLETCHER
News Staff Writer
Escambia County High’s baseball team opened last week’s play with its closest game of the year, a 10-7 loss to Central-Milton (Fla.) but was pounded in 3 5-inning contests by Jackson as the week ended.
The young and inexperienced Blue Devils pitchers showed some improvement, especially against the Milton team, but continued to struggle with their control against Jackson.
Central scored all its runs in the first 4 innings, including 5 in the first frame, of a March 7 game, then held on as the ECHS squad tried to overcome the deficit.
According to the box score posted on MaxPreps, Central only managed 9 hits against 2 Escambia hurlers. Jamarion Robinson pitched 4 hitless innings, striking out 11 batters while walking 4 and hitting 2. Hasten Dean also hit a batter but worked 3 innings without issuing a walk.
The Blue Devils managed 8 hits, 2 each by Owen Gibson, who had a double, and Exavion Bradley, who ripped a triple. Anthony McCants had a double and 2 RBI, while Robinson knocked in 3 runs. Lebron Hooks and Gibson each stole a base. ECHS did not commit a fielding error.
Jolted by Jackson
Any morale boost provided by the close contest quickly evaporated against Jackson, which swept 3 games in 2 days.
The first contest, on March 9, wound up 25-6, as the Aggies pounded out 18 hits and used three ECHS fielding errors to post a 14-run second inning and an 8-run fourth that shortened the contest. ECHS managed 9 hits, including 2 each by Marrion Hooks, Jacorian King, who also had 2 of the team’s 3 stolen bases, and Gibson, who hit a double and knocked in 2 runs.
McCants, Brandon Dean, King and Marrion Hooks shared the mound duties.
In the first game of a March 10 doubleheader, Jackson got 12 runs and 14 hits off Hasten Dean, who walked only 2 batters but hit 4 with pitches.
ECHS got 8 hits, including 3 by McCants, while Robinson, Marrion Hooks and Caseano Oliver each stole a base.
The Blue Devils were outhit by only a 6-4 margin in the nightcap but dropped a 12-2 decision when the Aggies scored 5 times in the bottom of the fifth to end the game. Marrion Hooks had 2 of the team’s hits, both doubles, and ECHS’s fielders made only 1 error.
Oliver faced just 4 batters, allowing 3 hits, hitting a batter and unleashing a wild pitch. Robinson took over and went the rest of the way but couldn’t find his control, either. He walked 7 batters, hit 5 others and threw 4 wild pitches.
Brewton trip upcoming
The schedule posted on MaxPreps shows that ECHS, now 0-7, will play 3 games against T.R. Miller this week, a 4 p.m. home contest on Thursday, March 16, followed by a Friday doubleheader that begins at 5 p.m. in Brewton. A game at W.S. Neal is scheduled for 5 p.m. next Tuesday, March 21.