Calera fends off county foe Pelham 5-3

Published 6:04 pm Wednesday, March 1, 2023

Getting your Trinity Audio player ready...

By LAUREN SEXTON | Sports Reporter

CALERA – The Calera Eagles managed to pull away with a win against county foe Pelham on Tuesday, Feb. 28. 

The Eagles took a 2-2 game and broke the tie in the bottom of the fourth en route to the 5-2 victory against Pelham.

Calera’s Ben Graham gave his team the early lead in the bottom of the first on an RBI single, while Bentley Berry scored shortly after on a double steal to make it 2-0. 

However, the Eagles’ 2-0 lead didn’t last very long when the Panthers tied the score 2-2 in the top of the second. 

Clayton Mains drove home one run on an RBI single to center field, while Makei Griffin followed shortly after with an RBI single of his own to left field to bring Mains around to score. That evened the score at 2-2 until the bottom of the fourth.

In the fourth, the Eagles scored another run and took back the lead when Zach Sharpton singled on a 1-1 count to make it 3-2. Success only continued for the Eagles from there on out. Calera scored another two runs in the fifth inning on a sac fly from Graham and an RBI single from Tyde Harrison before Pelham scored one final run in the top of the sixth.

Calera pitcher Will Harrison surrendered three hits and two runs over four innings, striking out six. AJ Johnson threw three innings in relief out of the bullpen. Johnson recorded the last nine outs to earn the save for the Eagles.

Sharpton led Calera with two hits, while he totaled one RBI. Graham led the way with two RBIs, while Harrison added one RBI on one hit.

Ryan Hurd pitched for the Panthers. Hurd allowed five runs on seven hits over five and third innings, striking out four and walking one.

Mains had two hits in three at-bats, while he added one RBI. Griffin finished with one hit and an RBI, while Blake Woodall added an RBI with two walks.