Calera finishes 3-1 at spring break tourney, gets perfect game from Stokes
Published 3:52 pm Wednesday, March 24, 2021
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By ALEC ETHEREDGE | Managing Editor
OXFORD – Sitting at an even 7-7 heading into their spring break tournament, the Calera Eagles were looking to gain some momentum with a special performance heading into area play and that’s exactly what they got.
The Eagles put together three wins in 24 hours at the Oxford tournament held at Choccolocco Park March 22-23, finishing with a 3-1 record to improve to 10-8 on the season.
One of the highlights in the tournament came in their final win thanks to pitcher Preston Stokes tossing a perfect game in a 14-0 victory for the Eagles.
He pitched all five innings and gave up no hits, runs or walks, while striking out eight batters to finish off a stellar showing on the mound. He got through the game in just 57 pitches.
It didn’t hurt that Calera’s offense capped off a special three-game stretch with 14 runs to end the game after the top of the fifth.
The Eagles scored four in the first, seven in the third and three more in the fourth to complete the scoring.
Carter Sheehan and Noah Clayton led the way at the plate with three hits and three RBIs apiece. Lane Busby added two hits and two RBIs, while Matthew Windham added one hit and two RBIs. Cam Medders and Bentley Berry each added one hit and one RBI.
The two games leading up to that also saw Calera’s offense find success with 18 combined runs to start the tournament.
Calera started with a 10-1 victory against Lincoln in which the Eagles scored three in the first, five in the fourth and two more in the fifth.
Windham and Nick Bunn both finished 2-for-3 with two RBIs and one run scored. Sheehan and Christian Byrley added one hit and one RBI apiece.
Tyler Douglas got the start on the mound and pitched a complete game allowing four hits and one run with one strikeout.
The Eagles followed that with an 8-1 win against Ohatchee to end Monday’s opening day of the tournament.
Ohatchee tied the game 1-1 at the end of the first inning, but Calera scored six in the third and one more in the seventh to complete the win.
Matthew Bullard led the way at the plate with three hits and two RBIs, while Bunn, Windham and Seth Harrison each had two hits. Bunn added an RBI, while Byrley and Riley Gay each had one hit and one RBI.
Harrison added another complete-game performance for Calera on the mound, giving the Eagles three in the tournament. He allowed eight hits, one run and one walk while striking out five in the win.
Calera had a chance to take down Deshler in the final game after a solid start from Bullard on the mound.
He allowed five hits and one unearned run with seven strikeouts in four innings pitched. He exited the game after the Eagles tied the game at 1-1 in the bottom of the fourth.
They came back to take a 2-1 lead in the bottom of the fifth, but a four-run top of the sixth from Deshler led to a 5-2 loss for Calera.
Sheehan had two hits and one walk in four plate appearances, while Berry had the team’s only RBI.