Game 1 = Straughn 10 – Greenville 2

Straughn junior Chase Short was lights out on the mound for five innings. That dominating pitching performance coupled with senior catcher Zack Turvin’s perfect day and a monstrous grand slam by sophomore Keith Edgar propelled SHS to a rather convincing 10-2 victory in the season opener. Short wasted no time showing the visiting Tigers he was a force to be reckoned with. Harley Vinson could not catch up to Short’s heat and struck out swinging for the game’s first out. Jason Schofield took a called strike three, and a groundout to second sent the game to the bottom half of the first scoreless. SHS built off the momentum by batting around and scoring four times. Turvin connected on the first pitch he saw with a solid single into left. Fellow senior Doug Mosley followed with a walk, and Short was hit by a pitch to load the bases with nobody out. Sophomore Johnny Owens took one for the team when he was plunked by the ball. Turvin’s courtesy runner Daryl George came home with Straughn’s first run of the season. Greenville pitcher Ozell Carter had struggled to find the zone, but Edgar became the first out when he struck out looking. The wildness continued as freshman Lane Sirmon earned an RBI on a free pass and drove home Mosley. Sophomore Austin Worley closed the scoring with a two-run single into left center. SHS went ahead 4-0 after only one inning of play.

Short continued to shine when he fanned Carter, Colby Booker, and Devonta Posey in the top of the second. Jeffrey Fuller reached on a walk with two outs, but Greenville could not answer. Straughn did by adding to its lead. Turvin laced another single into left to lead off but was turned away on a force play. Short helped his own cause with a towering double into right center that scored Mosley. A pair of fly outs to the right fielder sent the lid lifter to the third with the hosts in front 5-0. GHS began the third by taking another called third strike. A miscue in the field allowed Michael Smith to reach with one out, but a chopper back to the mound and strikeout held Greenville in check. Straughn’s Lane Sirmon earned the base on balls to open the SHS third. However, he was caught stealing, and two outs later, the hosts were turned away quietly. After yet another punch-out by Short, Carter put the visitors on the board with a deep home run to left. The following two batters went down in succession, but the new score was now 5-1. Freshman Rollin Kinsaul walked to lead off the bottom of the fourth and moved up to second on Turvin’s third hit of the game. Mosley sacrificed both into scoring position, and Short followed with a force play that took out the runner at third. Owens had a good eye on a two-out full-count to keep the frame alive. With a 1-1 count, Edgar got ahold of one and sent a grand slam out of the park. The host Tigers doubled their margin to 9-1 entering the fifth.

Greenville never did solve out the dazzling pitching performance by Short. He closed his brilliant day on the bump by striking out the side and finishing with a dozen strikeouts. Sophomore Brett Hudson struck out to begin the home side of the fifth but reached when the ball got past the catcher. Running in his place, sophomore Brennan Head eventually made it to third on two more passed balls. Head scored the tenth and final run on a wild pitch. With a comfortable 10-1 lead, Fussell summoned Hudson to the mound for the sixth. Hudson worked around a one-out walk to keep GHS down by nine. Straughn picked up two hits in its half but was held off the scoreboard. Sophomore Beau Spivey took over in the seventh inning. He walked the leadoff man who eventually crossed the plate on a grounder. As if 13 combined strikeouts were not enough, Greenville fanned a 14th time to end the 10-2 decision in favor of Straughn.

Greenville = 2 Runs Total

• 4th Inning = 1 Run
• 7th Inning = 1 Run

Jason Schofield – 1 Walk
Ozell Carter – 1 Home Run, 1 Run, 1 RBI
Colby Booker – 1 Walk, 1 Run
Jeffrey Fuller – 1 Walk
Briar Kirby – 1 Walk

Ozell Carter – 3 2/3 Innings Pitched, 9 Runs Allowed, 6 Hits Allowed, 5 Walks, 2 HBP’s, 3 Strikeouts
Colby Booker – 2 1/3 Innings Pitched, 1 Run Allowed, 2 Hits Allowed, 1 Walk, 1 Strikeout

Straughn = 10 Runs Total

• 1st Inning = 4 Runs
• 2nd Inning = 1 Run
• 4th Inning = 4 Runs
• 5th Inning = 1 Run

Zack Turvin – 3 Singles, 1 Walk, 1 Run
Daryl George – 1 Run
Doug Mosley – 1 Sacrifice Bunt, 1 Walk, 2 Runs
Chase Short – 1 Double, 1 Run, 1 RBI, 1 HBP
Brennan Head – 2 Runs
Johnny Owens – 1 Single, 2 Runs, 1 RBI, 1 Walk, 1 HBP
Keith Edgar – 1 Grand Slam, 1 Run, 4 RBI’s
Lane Sirmon – 3 Walks, 1 RBI
Austin Worley – 1 Single, 2 RBI’s
Taylor Messick – 1 Single
Brett Hudson – 1 Sacrifice Bunt
Rollin Kinsaul – 1 Walk

Chase Short – 5 Innings Pitched, 1 Run Allowed, 1 Hit Allowed, 1 Walk, 12 Strikeouts (Winning Pitcher)
Brett Hudson – 1 Inning Pitched, 1 Walk, 1 Strikeout
Beau Spivey – 1 Inning Pitched, 1 Run Allowed, 2 Walks, 1 Strikeout

Game 2 = Straughn 11 – Greenville 2

More of the same took place in the nightcap on a chilly evening once the sun went down. However, Straughn’s bats stayed hot, and the pitching continued to shine in an 11-2 shellacking of the visitors. Sophomore Keith Edgar picked up where Chase Short left off in the opener. He struck out two of the first three batters to send it to the bottom of the first. Just as he did in game one, Zack Turvin roped a single into left to start the SHS ball rolling. A balk moved courtesy runner Daryl George into scoring position, and a passed ball sent him to third. George came racing home for the contest’s first run when the ball found its way to the backstop. Doug Mosley coaxed a free pass, and Johnny Owens sent a shot into right. After both moved up to second and third, the next two batters popped up on the infield to keep the host Tigers ahead a run after one inning. Ozell Carter and Devonta Posey took called third strikes in the visiting half of the second frame. Jerome Cook managed to reach virtue of a walk but was thrown out by Turvin with a perfect strike to the second base bag. SHS increased its margin to four with two gone in the bottom of inning number two. Rollin Kinsaul scorched a single into right followed by freshman Gunner Wise who reached when the pitcher was unable to field the ball. Turvin’s walk loaded the bases, but Mosley struck out to bring Short to the dish. Short was hit on a 2-0 count and earned an RBI to double the lead to 2-0. Owens then brought Wise and Turvin home with a ringing double.

Greenville managed to get a runner to third but to no avail when a chopper to second kept the visitors off the scoreboard. Sophomore Austin Worley led off the bottom half with a free pass. Fellow sophomore Taylor Messick dropped down a sacrifice, but the opposing pitcher airmailed one all the way into right field. Worley flew around the base paths and scored as Messick reached third on the errant play. A pair of outs later, the hit barrage began again. Turvin, Mosley, and Short all drove in a run to push the lead out to 8-0. GHS snapped the no-hit bid when Jason Schofield singled into left center leading off the fourth. Cook eventually drove him home on a force play attempt slicing the Greenville deficit to seven. Straughn was retired in order to keep the score 8-1 heading to the fifth frame. Fortunately for the hosts, no momentum was lost, and the visitors repeated their counterparts by going down in succession themselves. Owens took over on the mound and said bye-bye-bye to GHS. Two outs quickly happened for SHS sending leadoff man Turvin to the plate. He and Mosley used their senior leadership with back-to-back hits. Mosley’s double landed on the chalk just inside the third base line. The inning came to a finish on a grounder, but the score remained the same.

Cody Mauch provided Greenville’s second hit of the second game with a liner into center. Following a fly out and strikeout, Colby Booker hit a single into right that scored Mauch. Carter followed suit with one of his own, but GHS was turned away once more. Owens led off the host sixth with a four-pitch walk, and a sacrifice bunt by junior Cody Crowell put him in scoring position with two outs. Brett Hudson came through in the clutch with an RBI single. Kinsaul picked up a free pass, and Lane Sirmon was plunked with the bases chock full. Turvin finished his amazing day at the plate with a 2-RBI single into the same place (left center) he had found holes all day. Trailing by nine, Greenville stayed alive and kept from being mercy ruled to enter the seventh. Sirmon took over on the bump and promptly retired the side in order with three consecutive strikeouts. The huge 11-2 win gave Straughn a perfect 2-0 start to begin 2012. Edgar picked up the team’s win with four innings on the mound. He only allowed one run on one hit while striking out five.

Greenville = 2 Runs Total

• 4th Inning = 1 Run
• 6th Inning = 1 Run

Jason Schofield – 1 Single, Walk
Colby Booker – 1 Single, 1 RBI
Ozell Carter – 1 Single, 1 Walk
Jerome Cook – 1 Walk, 1 RBI
Briar Kirby – 1 Walk
Cody Mauch – 1 Single, 1 Sacrifice Bunt, 1 Run

Paul Hartley – 2 2/3 Innings Pitched, 8 Runs Allowed, 7 Hits Allowed, 3 Walks, 2 HBP’s, 2 Strikeouts
Colby Booker – 2 1/3 Innings Pitched, 2 Hits Allowed
Harper Vinson – 1 Inning Pitched, 3 Runs Allowed, 2 Hits Allowed,2 Walks, 1 HBP

Straughn = 11 Runs Total

• 1st Inning = 1 Run
• 2nd Inning = 3 Runs
• 3rd Inning = 4 Runs
• 6th Inning = 3 Run

Zack Turvin – 4 Singles, 1 Walk, 2 Runs, 3 RBI’s
Daryl George – 1 Run
Doug Mosley – 1 Single, 1 Double, 1 Walk, 1 Run, 1 RBI, 1 Stolen Base
Chase Short – 1 Single, 2 RBI’s, 1 HBP
Johnny Owens – 1 Single, 1 Double, 1 Walk, 1 Run, 2 RBI’s, 1 Walk
Austin Worley – 1 Walk, 1 Run
Taylor Messick – 1 Sacrifice Bunt
Brett Hudson – 1 Single, 1 Run
Rollin Kinsaul – 1 Single, Walk, 2 Runs
Gunner Wise – 1 Run, 1 HBP
Brennan Head – 1 Run, 1 Stolen Base
Lane Sirmon – 1 HBP, 1 RBI

Keith Edgar – 4 Innings Pitched, 1 Run Allowed, 1 Hit Allowed, 3 Walks, 5 Strikeouts (Winning Pitcher)
Johnny Owens – 2 Innings Pitched, 1 Run Allowed, 3 Hits Allowed, 2 Strikeouts
Lane Sirmon – 1 Inning Pitched, 3 Strikeouts

Turvin finished a perfect 7-for-7 at the plate in the doubleheader sweep. He was never retired in his nine total plate appearances. In regards to his day, Turvin remarked, “It’s my senior year and my first two games. We wanted to start the season off 2-0; I led off, and I feel like I was a big part in that.” The senior catcher added, “I did my best and was feeling it and hitting everything. Hopefully, that can carry on to other games.” When asked about batting first, Turvin said, “It was different because last year, I hit seventh, eighth, and ninth. This year, hitting leadoff is a big difference and feels like a more important role.” The only other senior on the team, Doug Mosley, also commented about the season-opener. The outfielder stated that it felt good to come away with a sweep of Greenville. “We came out and played as a team, but we have a few things we got to do hitting wise. Defensively, we were strong, and our pitching was really good tonight. It’s our senior year, and there are only two of us.” Mosley further commented about the team’s goals. He said, “I think it’d be really nice just to make it to the second round of the state playoffs.”

Fussell discussed the team he fields this year. “Being as many ninth and tenth graders as we had out there, I think we have two seniors and one junior who start. With the exception of four players, all the other ones were on JV last year,” he noted. As far as improvements go, Fussell said, “We didn’t do a very good job base running. They made some mistakes when there were two outs, and we act like we don’t know we’re supposed to be going on the crack of the bat.” Straughn returns to the diamond this Saturday, February 25. The team will hit the road for the first time this season at Providence Christian in Dothan for another twinbill. First pitch is scheduled for 1:00. Regarding his team’s next opponent, the SHS coach said, “They have seven seniors and are a very good 2A program. We’re going to try and get better at base running and keep hitting, pitching, and playing defense.”

Fussell said he was “shocked” with the turnout of the crowd. His reasoning was, “I’ll be honest with you. I was shocked because we were out of school, and I was really amazed. I know the guys were really pleased with that, and I think some of the crowd stemmed from last year and the success we had. They’re just going to have to be patient this year because we are mighty young.” A huge thank you goes out to Straughn High School junior Catherine Hong Tran for volunteering to take photos!