By RAY BENTON
Leader sports editor
Jacksonville got two wins in pool play of the Sheridan Wood Bat Classic to stay in contention for Sunday’s tournament championship round.
Wednesday the Gwantey Chevrolet team blanked Cabot’s AA squad 3-0, then hammered tournament host Sheridan 11-2 in a run-rule-shortened game.
Jesse Harbin threw five innings of shutout ball in Wednesday’s win. Jacob Abrahamson came in for the last two innings and kept the goose egg on the board.
After two straight games of struggling at the plate, the first being Monday’s 9-0 loss to Cabot’s senior team, the Jacksonville bats came to life again Thursday night.
Jacksonville also got a good effort on the mound from Xavier Brown, who went the distance for the win.
The only shortcoming for Gwatney in the game was a glaring one. Four runners were picked off on the base paths, shortening what were already good rallies, and extending what could’ve been a much shorter game.
“We’ve got to have a base-running practice,” Gwatney coach Bob Hickingbotham said. “We haven’t had a chanceto practice much, but I thought they’d remember from what we did last year.”
Despite the base-running mistakes, the offense at the plate was solid. It started with the first batter. Abrahamson took a 2-2 pitch deep over the fence in left field. Patrick Castleberry doubled and Harbin walked. Colt Harmon then singled to center to drive in a run, and another run scored on an error at shortstop.
Sheridan got a run in the first and last inning, and mounted very little offense against Brown in between.
The host squad actually mounted little offense at all. Brown struggled with control in the first inning, but grinded his way through to give up just one run. He hit three batters and walked another. Sheridan’s Landon Morris made the first out, but his fly to centerfield scored leadoff hitter Nick Ware, who was hit by the first pitch of the frame.
Brown then hit Zach Perkins, and got a groundout from Luke Hanneman. He then hit Grady Finland to load the bases, but struck out Billy Wicker to get out of the inning with minimal damage done.
From that point Brown was outstanding. He gave up just two hits and no earned runs the rest of the game, walking just one and striking out four.
Meanwhile, Jacksonville’s offense kept at it. Gwatney added four runs in the second, with help from sloppy Sheridan defense. Chris McClendon started things off with a hit to left, but what should’ve been a routine single ending up rolling to the fence and left McClendon standing on third. Brown then got a hit to score his catcher. A double by Abrahamson scored Brown. Castleberry walked and a hit by Harbin brought both base runners home when another outfield error allowed Castleberry to score all the way from first.
Each of Jacksonville’s last two outs in the inning were picked off runners. Gwatney’s only fruitless inning was the third, but it added three more in the fourth to make it 10-1. Kenny Cummings reached on an error at third base. Castleberry and Harbin followed with base hits, Harbin’s hit driving in another run. Castleberry scored from third on a wild pitch, and Harmon, after walking, scored when Brown drew a bases-loaded walk.
Harbin picked up his third RBI in the game with his third base hit to cap Jacksonville’s scoring in the top of the fifth.
