OAKMAN — Basketball is a game of runs.
So is baseball. At least that was the case in Wednesday’s Walker County Baseball Tournament matchup between Curry and Cordova. The game included six lead changes with Curry finally going ahead for good in the bottom of the sixth inning in a 15-12 victory over the Blue Devils at Oakman High School.
Curry now advances to Friday’s championship game set for 4:30 p.m.
Two games will be held today at Oakman with Carbon Hill facing the host team at 4:30 p.m. and top-seeded Dora playing the winner at 6:30 p.m.
On Wednesday, Cordova jumped out to a 4-0 lead in the first inning on RBI hits from Gabe Gross and Andrew Hunt. The Blue Devils led 5-0 going into the bottom of the third. Curry pushed across eight runs in the inning to grab an 8-5 lead. The Jackets took advantage of six hits, a hit batter, a walk and an error in the frame.
Cordova struck for five runs in the fifth inning to retake the lead at 10-8 only to have the Jackets go ahead 11-10 going into the sixth inning.
The Blue Devils regained the lead in the top of the sixth at 12-11 behind one hit, an error and two walks, but Curry again rallied, scoring four runs in the bottom of the sixth to earn the win.
Cade Miller came through with the game-winning hit in the bottom of the sixth with a two-run single that drove in both Nic Bankston and Brayden Davis for a 13-12 lead. Luke Smith added an RBI single and later scored on a wild pitch for the final run.
Smith got the win, allowing two unearned runs and striking out four in two innings of work.
The top of the lineup led the way for Curry. Lead-off man Miller was 3 for 4 with three runs and four RBIs , Smith was 4 for 4 with two doubles, a triple, two runs scored and four RBIs and Cody Dunagan was 2 for 4 with a double, two runs and three RBIs. Also for the Jackets, Jacob Woder was 2 for 4 with three RBIs, Brodie Naramore was 2 for 4 two with a double and a run, Will Haynes was 1 for 2 with a pair of walks and a run, Davis was 1 for 3 with two runs, Aaron Ozwalt scored two runs and Bankston scored a run.
For Cordova, Cody Headrick was 3 for 4 with three runs, Garrett Gilmore was 2 for 4 with a double and a run, Hunt was 1 for 2 with a run, both Brodie Taft and Gabe Gross were 1 for 4 with a double and a run, Connor Cox was 1 for 4, Zach James scored two runs and Cade Naramore scored a run.
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Sumiton Christian 12, Carbon Hill 2, five innings
Sumiton Christian scored eight runs over the first two innings and defeated Carbon Hill 12-2 on Wednesday at Blair Field.
Ashton McClendon earned the win for the Eagles (5-4), allowing two hits and a walk with five strikeouts over four innings. Braden Woodard went the final inning, allowing two unearned runs and striking out two.
Yancey Young led the Sumiton Christian offense, going 3 for 4 with a double, two runs and two RBIs, Jordon Robertson was 2 for 3 with two runs and two RBIs and Griffin Myers was 1 for 3 with a double and two RBIs.
For Carbon Hill (2-1), Braden Amerson was 1 for 3 with a run and both Caleb Kilgore and Laney Keeton had hits. Larry Terry took the loss for the Bulldogs.
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Mortimer Jordan 10, Jasper 2
Mortimer Jordan broke open a pitcher’s duel with a 10-run top of the seventh inning as the Blue Devils beat Jasper 10-2 at Valley Park on Wednesday.
Parker Sawyer got his first start of the season for Jasper, allowing three hits and three walks while striking out two in three scoreless innings. Aiden McGinnis went two scoreless innings with Tyler Morrison suffering the loss.
Dalton Dockins had the highlight for the Vikings, belting his second home run of the season.
Mayson Slaughter and Carson Alvis both went 1 for 3 and Ayden Payne scored a run.
Jasper (5-4), which has dropped four straight games, hosts Sumiton Christian at 6 p.m. today. A junior high game starts at 4 p.m.
STORY AND PHOTO BY JOHNATHAN BENTLEY – DAILY MOUNTAIN EAGLE
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