By GRAHAM POWELL
Leader sportswriter
POYEN – A big second inning helped catapult Carlisle to a 6-0 victory over Magnet Cove in the semifinal round of the 2A East Regional Tournament on Saturday, where they ran into a red-hot Palestine-Wheatley team. The Patriots, who finished third in conference play and was swept by Carlisle in the regular season, won the regional championship with a 3-2 victory, their first regional title in school history.
In Saturday’s game against Magnet Cove, the Bisona and Panthers were held scoreless in the first inning, but the Bison (17-5), who qualified for the class 2A state tournament with a 5-1 win over Poyen in the first round of the regional tournament on Friday, scored four runs in the second inning to take control of the game.
“I thought our guys really, really played well in the three innings we said are very important,” said Carlisle coach William Rountree. “Pitchers have got to throw strikes. (Josh) Mathis pitched real well. We’ve played over here two days in a row.
“(Chris) Hart pitched the first day, Mathis the second day. The second thing is make the routine plays. Our defense has gotten a lot better. And then the third thing was put the ball in play.”
Hart gave up just two hits in his time on the mound Friday against Poyen. Mathis gave up four hits against Magnet Cove, but gave up just one walk while recording seven strikeouts in seven innings of work.
Jacob Gordon scored the first run of the game in the top of the second inning. Gordon doubled down the third base line to get on base, and advanced to third base on a fielder’s choice by Thomas McCallie.
With runners at the corners, McCallie stole second. Magnet Cove catcher Caleb Hughes tried to catch McCallie stealing, but the throw to second was off the mark, and Gordon scored as the ball rolled into shallow center field.
McCallie moved to third on a single to center field by Jacob Cagle, and scored on a slow-rolling single to third base by Nick Schafer, which put the Bison up 2-0. Hart gave Carlisle a three-run lead with a single to the left-field gap that scored Cagle.
Schafer scored the final run of the inning on a passed ball at the plate.
The Bison took a 5-0 lead in the fourth inning on a one-out single down the first base line by three-hole hitter Austin Reed.
Mathis, the team’s leadoff hitter, scored on the play after walking and stealing second base to start the inning.
Carlisle set the final score in the top of the seventh inning with an insurance run. Reed got on base after picking up his game-high fourth hit of the day on another single to right field.
Cleanup hitter Deron Ricks reached on an E4 the next at bat, and Reed went to third base on the error. Dylan Brazeal followed Ricks’ at bat with a walk, but ball four got by Hughes, and Reed scored on the passed ball, which gave the Bison a 6-0 advantage.
The Bison outhit the Panthers 8-4. Carlisle totaled six hits against starting pitcher Hunter Martin, but struggled at times against relief pitcher Conner Wells, Magnet Cove’s ace.
“We did a good job early on the first pitcher,” Rountree said. “Now this left-hander (Wells) is pretty tough, but we scored enough. We manufactured some runs. They missed some plays and, you know, we’re in the regional finals for the second year in a row. So that’s pretty good.” Reed had half of his team’s hits with his 4 for 4 outing, while Hart, Gordon, Cagle and Schafer had a hit apiece. Jon Luten led Magnet Cove (16-10) with two hits.
