By TREY HICKMAN/For the Reporter

MONTEVALLO — With two outs in the top of the ninth, Bibb County’s Brett Lightsey singled in the go-ahead run, and Garnet Holifield retired the side in the bottom of the inning as the Choctaws dropped Montevallo 8-7 in the Hope 4 Gabe varsity baseball tournament Feb. 20.

Holifield got the win for Bibb County, pitching four innings of relief, allowing one run (earned) and striking out three. Jonathan Pintaro took the loss for the tournament host Bulldogs, tossing three innings while giving up one run (earned) and striking out three of his own. Pintaro sat down the first eight Choctaw batters he faced before Justin Cottingham doubled, then scored on Lightsey’s game-winning single in a contest that went two extra innings.

“You hate to drop one like that but, for the most part this is the most compete game we’ve played,” said Montevallo head coach Trey Simpson. “We don’t feel terrible about it. You always want to go out and win but, we had good at-bats (and) threw two young kids who had never pitched in varsity to start the game (Jaret Yancey and Hunter Nabors), and they gave us a chance (to win).”

In addition to the exploits of Lightsey and Holifield, Bibb County also benefited from a third inning that saw the Choctaws score three two-out runs.

Pintaro led the Montevallo bats, going 3-for-4 with an RBI, a double, a walk and a run scored, while Chase Hamrick, Colby Lucas, Hunter Nabors and Will Snyder had an RBI apiece in the loss.

“We had too many mental errors,” Simpson said. “We gave up too many 0-2 hits, (and we) pitched behind batters. That stuff is going to come and bite you, and young pitchers will learn. We did some things that definitely hurt us and (we) didn’t take opportunities. But for the most part (we) played hard, and if you can put yourself in a position to win at the end, you’ll win a lot more than you’ll lose.

“We’re getting there. We’re still young and we have a ways to go but, (it was) a good game. (I) enjoyed it.”

Montevallo will try to rebound against Childersburg as the Hope 4 Gabe tournament continues Feb. 21.