Sports

Scrappers use long ball to advance in state tournament May 12, 2008 - No reporter cited

Jim Pinson
Editor

JONESBORO – Nashville used two home runs in the fifth inning to power past the Ricebirds of Stuttgart, in the first round of the state tournament on the campus of Valley View High School in Jonesboro.

Sophomore Luke Jamison pitched seven complete innings for the Scrappers on his way to the victory. Jamison struck out six and walked two, but scattered six hits over the seven inning contest.

Stuttgart used two pitchers during the game. Nick Koneony pitched five innings. He allowed five hits, including the two home runs. Koneony struck out six and walked six. He was relieved by Lukas Murray in the sixth inning. Murray gave up four hits and walked one, in his one inning of work.

Both teams managed a hit in the first inning, but both defenses stepped up, not allowing a run to score.

In the second inning, Stuttgart used a double by Trevor Freemyer to take one run, as Carrison Vaughn drove Freemyer in from second on a single to centerfield.

Nick Reeves would get the only hit for Nashville in the second inning with a Texas leaguer over the head of the second baseman into shallow right field. Reeves would be stranded on base with the Ricebirds leading 1-0, after two innings of play.

Jamison struck out two Ricebirds in the third and allowed a harmless double to right field to keep the Scrappers within one run going into their half of the inning.

Nashville loaded the bases as Koneony hit Michael Nava and walked Jamison and Bubba Browning, to load the bases with two outs. Koneony would get out of the inning without allowing a run to score.

Stuttgart would add another run to their lead in the fifth, as Logan Ward would score on an error by the Scrappers.

Nashville responded in the bottom of the fifth with two big shots from Tyler Serrano and Jamison.

Michael Milum led off with a walk and Serrano hit the ball over the centerfield fence to tie the score at two. Two batters later Jamison would drive one out of the park to give the Scrappers a one run lead, which proved to be the difference in the game.

Alan Copeland would hit a blooper into shallow leftfield to put runners on the corners for the Scrappers before Cade Richards was thrown out attempting to steal home on a double steal to end the inning.

Reeves led off the sixth inning with a single. Milum moved Reeves over with a single to left field. Stuttgart would walk Nava to load the bases with two outs. Jamison once again helped his cause by scoring Reeves from third on a squibber to the infield. Browning would follow by driving in Milum and Nava on a sharply hit single to left-center field.

Nashville scored three runs in the sixth to put the game on ice and advance to the semi-finals.

Jamison led the Scrappers from the mound and at the plate. Jamison had two hits; a home run in the fifth and a RBI single in the sixth.

Serrano also had two RBIs on his homer in the fifth. Browning had two RBIs on one single.

Reeves had two singles. Nava had a double and Copeland had a single during the game.

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