RSS RSS Feed
Sports August 2, 2007
Search Archives

Thomasville knocked out by Tenn.
By Charlie Anderson Contributing Writer

PHOTO BY JOHNNY AUTERY Chad Dickinson makes the tag at home plate for Thomasville against Virginia Saturday during the opening games of the Dixie Pre-Majors World Series. Catcher Jon Harrison (left) and third baseman Justin Robinson (right) are also in on the play.
The Thomasville Pre- Majors All-Star team, which was serving as the host in the 2007 Dixie Pre-Majors World Series, was eliminated from further competition on Monday, July 30, when Tennessee defeated them 8- 5. Both teams were trying to fight their way out of the losers' bracket in the game. Tennessee had fallen to the loser's bracket after their opening game in the series on Saturday, July 28, when the team from Louisiana defeated them 7-6. They had remained alive on Sunday, July 29, putting North Carolina out with a 5-0 win. Thomasville had arrived at this position in a totally opposite manner. They had opened up on Saturday, with a 6-4 win over Virginia before suffering their first loss in the double elimination tournament on Sunday when the Alabama representative, Southern Timber out of Hoover, defeated them 9- 1.

PHOTO BY JOHNNY AUTERY Kenny Sanders stretches to make the catch at first against Virginia Saturday at Tucker Field in the Dixie Pre-Majors World Series.
In their win over Virginia, Thomasville bounced back from a 2-0 deficit in the third inning scoring five runs in their half of the frame. They then added one in the sixth and held on for the 6-4 win.

Chad Dickinson started on the mound for Thomasville and worked 4 2/3 innings to pick up the win. During his stint he allowed two runs on two hits and three walks while striking out five. Zack Ross came on for the final 2 1/3 innings and allowed two runs on four walks while striking out two.

Chris Walker, Virginia's starter took the loss working three innings in which he allowed five runs on six hits, two walks and two hit batsmen while striking out one. Gary Crawford relieved Walker pitching three innings, allowing one run on one hit and two hit batsmen while striking out one.

On offense Thomasville recorded seven hits, led by a two hit performance from Kenny Sanders. Joining him with one hit apiece were Rob Anderson, Walt Bedsole, Chad Dickinson, Paul Noble and Mallan Sheffield. Anderson led the charge in the extra-base hit category with a triple followed by Sanders with a double. Justin Robinson was the RBI leader with two followed by Bedsole, Jon Harrison, Jamie Morgan and Sanders with one each.

PHOTO BY JOHNNY AUTERY Alex Buford lays down a bunt during the Dixie Pre-Majors game Saturday.
On the other side Virginia had only two hits with Chris Anderson and Gary Crawford picking up one each. Anderson had the only extra-base hit with a double. Chad Wisecarver was the RBI leader with two followed by Anderson and Kevin Wade with one.

It was all Alabama in Thomasville's second game of the series as the boys from Jefferson County exploded for seven runs in the bottom of the fourth to erase an early 1-0 Thomasville lead and then added two more in the sixth to put the game away 9-1. In scoring the nine runs team Alabama pounded out 12 hits while limiting Thomasville to only two.

Leading the offensive charge for Alabama was Will McKay with three hits. Nick Bili, Danny Brown, and Mitch Holcombe followed close behind with two hits each while Brad Holmes, Dylan Mizzo, and Stevie Ward had one apiece. Bili, Brown, McKay, and Ward all had doubles to lead the team in extra-base hits. In the RBI area Brown was the leader with three followed by Ward with two; and Holcombe, Holmes and Mizzo with one.

Alex Buford and Jamie Morgan had Thomasville's only hits in the game. Buford was the Thomasville leader in both extra-base hits and RBIs, recording a double and driving in Thomasville's lone run.

On the mound, Danny Brown went the distance for Alabama to pick up the win. In seven innings he allowed one run on two hits, six walks and one hit batsman while striking out eleven. For Thomasville, which used five pitchers, it was starter Paul Noble who was charged with the loss. In 3 1/3 innings he allowed six runs on six hits and one walk while striking out three. Following him to the mound was Mallan Sheffield who in 1/3 inning allowed one run on one hit, two walks, and one hit batsman before being removed because of an injury. Jay Williams was next giving up one hit and two walks while hitting one batter and striking out three in one inning. Kenny Sanders and Jamie Morgan split the final inning with Sanders allowing two runs on four hits and one walk in 1/3 inning and Morgan inducing the only batter he faced into an inning ending double play.

In the Tennessee- Thomasville match-up both teams got out of the blocks early with the boys from the Volunteer State scoring three in the top of the first and Thomasville putting four on the board in bottom of the inning. Tennessee knotted it at 4-4 in the top of the fifth and then took the lead back with one more in the sixth. Unfortunately for Thomasville they weren't done there as they picked up three more in the top of the seventh and then held off a last inning rally by Thomasville to post an 8-5 win.

Cameron Finch went the distance on the mound for Tennessee to claim the victory allowing five runs on five hits, one walk and three hit batsmen while striking out eight. For Thomasville it was Zack Ross, the third of three pitchers used in the game, who was charged with the loss. Ross who worked the final two innings allowed three runs on three hits and one walk while striking out one. Preceding him on the hill were Alex Buford, the starter, who allowed three runs on four hits and five walks in 1 2/3 innings and Kenny Sanders who allowed two runs on four hits and two walks while striking three in 3 1/3 innings.

At the plate it was the pitcher Cameron Finch who helped his own cause picking up three of Tennessee's 11 hits to lead the way. Jeff Wargo was next with two while Hayden Allen, Hunter Britcliffe, Lane Ferrell, Ethan Sanderlin, Erik Schoenrock, and Joseph Stovail all had one apiece. In the extra-base hit category, Britdiffe, Finch and Wargo all had doubles. Allen was the RBI leader with two followed by Bryce Blackburn, Ferrell, Finch, Schoenrock and Wargo with one.

Kenny Sanders led the Thomasville offense with two hits followed by teammates Chad Dickinson, Paul Noble and Justin Robinson with one hit apiece. Four of Thomasville's five hits went for extra-bases with Sanders picking up both a triple and a double while Dickinson recorded a riple and Robinson a double. The RBIs were split evenly with Dickinson, Noble, Robinson and Sanders all picking up one apiece.
Reader Comments
No comments have been posted. Be the first!


Other Stories With Comments:
ArticleComments
Frances Nichols passes at 91 1
Bryant is a contestant in Ms. Senior Alabama Pageant 1
Dunagans to celebrate golden anniversary 1