By BAKER ELLIS / Sports Editor

NORTH SHELBY – Briarwood went 1-2 to start the season in the Jay D. Kynerd tournament, since then the Lions have ripped off 11 wins in 12 games to move to 12-3, and have scored 108 runs in those 11 wins to just 21 runs given up. On March 12, Briarwood hosted McAdory, and the Lions beat the visiting Yellow Jackets by finals of 10-9 and 9-0.

 

Game 1. Briarwood 10 – McAdory 9

After four innings in the opening game, Briarwood held a slight 3-2 advantage over McAdory. The Yellow Jackets then plated three runs in the fifth inning to Briarwood’s one to take a 5-4 lead before scoring four in the top of the seventh to take a 9-4 lead into the final half inning. Jake Morris and Cole Steadman, two of Briarwood’s first three batters of the seventh inning, struck out, setting the stage for quite the dramatic comeback.

Sam Strickland doubled to left in-between Morris and Steaman’s strikeouts, and was brought home when Kolby Kwarcinski followed Steadman and singled to left field. Luis Fuentes was then walked to put runners on first and second with two outs, and Logan Whittlesey took the first pitch he saw to center field for a double, scoring Fuentes from second and putting Kwarcinski on third in the process. Next up was Carter Bankston, and with an 0-2 count, Bankston doubled to left field as well off a hard ground ball, which scored both Kwarcinski and Whittlesey and brought the score to 9-8 McAdory.

Will Shepherd came in as a courtesy runner for Bankston, and Will Baumbaugh came to the plate as a pinch hitter for Hudson Hartsfield, and he took the fifth pitch he saw to left field for yet another double, which scored Shepherd from second and tied the game at 9-9.

Ben Metzger came in as a pinch runner for Baumbaugh, and scored when Carson Eddy hit a walk off single on the first pitch of his at-bat, giving Briarwood the thrilling 10-9 win off six runs and three doubles in the bottom of the seventh.

 

Game 2. Briarwood 9 – McAdory 0

After blowing the five-run lead in the final out of the game, the Yellow Jackets could not recover to give the Lions a test in the second, as Briarwood won easily 9-0. Morris and Michael Hiers combined to throw seven innings for Briarwood, and both gave up just one run apiece in the win. Bankston and Steadman both went 2-for-2 from the plate and had an RBI apiece as Briarwood moved to 12-3.