Bulldogs take two over Yellow Jackets
Published 6:24 pm Saturday, April 5, 2014
![Montevallo's Wesley Mims and Vincent's Hayden Laddie look for an umpire's call at home plate in an April 5 matchup. (Reporter Photo/Drew Granthum)](https://www.shelbycountyreporter.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/20/2014/04/4-9-Montevallo-Vincent-baseball—WEB.jpg)
Montevallo’s Wesley Mims and Vincent’s Hayden Laddie look for an umpire’s call at home plate in an April 5 matchup. (Reporter Photo/Drew Granthum)
By TREY HICKMAN/For the Reporter
MONTEVALLO — The Montevallo Bulldogs took a 5-1 win, then grabbed a dramatic 3-2 victory in the second game to sweep visiting Vincent in a varsity baseball doubleheader April 5.
Montevallo’s Jonathan Pintaro turned in a deft effort on the mound in Game 1, going to distance while yielding one run (unearned), surrendering two hits, striking out eight and walking two.
Game 2 proved a much more competitive contest. With one on, no outs and a scoreless game in the top of the fifth, the Bulldogs’ Wesley Mims took the mound in relief of starter Nick Thompson. MIms then hit the first batter he faced. Two batters later and with runners on second and third, Ryan Childers drilled a two-RBI single that plated Zach Baucom and Kristopher Phillips to give the Yellow Jackets a 2-0 edge.
In the bottom of the inning, after Will Synder singled and Zac Oden drew a walk, Mims grounded back to Vincent relief pitcher Childers, who threw the ball away at first. Both Snyder and Oden scored on the errant throw to tie the game. Jonathan Pintaro’s ensuing sacrifice fly scored Mims from third and the Bulldogs went ahead by one.
“Sometimes when our back’s against the wall, we dig in, we focus and we’re a little better,” said Montevallo head coach Trey Simpson. “We just have to learn how to do it every inning. We have to find something that pressures up to get us going.”
Montevallo was still up 3-2 in the top of seventh when Vincent’s Phillips led off the final inning with a single. Phillips worked his way around the bases on consecutive groundouts, and putting the tying run on third with two outs.
Hayden Laddie then hit a grounder to third baseman Justin Pickett, who fired to first from his knees. First baseman Brady Hamer stretched out, reached high and stayed on the bag to receive the throw, which narrowly beat Laddie to the bag to end the game.
“It was good to come back and to battle back and to work out of some jams late,” Simpson said. “(We) made a bunch of good defensive plays the last two innings to take away their scoring threats.”
Wesley Mims got the win for Montevallo in Game 2, going three innings, giving up one run (earned), allowing five hits, striking out two and walking one.
Offensively for the Bulldogs in the second game, Jonathan Pintaro had an RBI while Zac Oden went 1-for-1 with a double and a walk and Will Snyder was 1-for-2. Mims, Oden and Snyder scored a run apiece in the win.
Ryan Childers had two RBI for Vincent as Kristopher Phillips went 2-for-2. Sam Lynn and Matthew Swift were both 2-for-3 while Phillips and Zach Baucom scored a run apiece in the losing cause.
Montevallo is now 17-9 on the season.