After winning game one at home and dropping game two at Ethel Saturday, Stringer needed another home victory Monday night to salvage its season and move further into the MHSAA 1A South playoffs. The Red Devils took care of business, topping a young and scrappy Tigers team 5-1.
“We played a team [Ethel] that has a lot of sophomores and juniors that are scrappy and are tough to strike out. They are hard-nosed, always encouraging each other throughout the game, and they’ve got a little moxie about them,” Stringer head coach Wade Weathers said. “Nothing ever bothers them. They thought they were in it until the last out of the game. That’s a credit to coach [Chris] Schuster. He’s been there a while; and the culture he has there, they are just tough, hard-nosed kids.”
Click on the following link for video highlights and a full postgame interview with Red Devils baseball coach Wade Weathers: https://youtu.be/26trSEOFXNo
The big story of the night was two players who stepped up big for Stringer to help punch the Red Devil’s ticket to the third round.
Senior pitcher Conner Hicks hadn’t seen action on the mound in a while and hurled phenomenally for the Devils. He controlled the game, worked out of jams, and ended up fanning ten Ethel batters on the night. He allowed only three hits and an unearned run.
“We don’t win that game if Hicks doesn’t go out and pitch the way that he did. He hasn’t thrown a lot lately. We chose to go a different route with our district starters and game one and two starters in the playoffs,” Weathers explained. “Tonight, he was more than we could have asked him to be for us. He was dominating. I was super proud of him. “
On the offensive side of the diamond, junior Omarion Bridges was a fruitful boost Stringer needed. The nine-hole hitter, on a 3-2, two out pitch, tied the game 1-1 with a hit to right in the bottom of the second. He later belted another shot to left field that plated two runs for the Devils and gave Stringer a 3-1 lead they would not relinquish.
“Omarion Bridges … that’s a guy in our nine hole. He’s there because he plays defense well, and he draws walks and can run. Tonight, he finally swung the bat for us, and had the first three RBIs of the game,” said Weathers. “Especially, from the nine-hole, it was a big situation, and he got it done. He came back up in another big situation and got it done again for us. Man, I am beyond happy for that kid, because he works hard.
“He [Bridges] hasn’t swung it well all year, but he’ll tell you; he just told us in the huddle that goes to his teammate, Cayleb Dyess, our leadoff hitter, and senior leader. He stayed after for an hour and a half today, and worked with Omar.”
Ethel took a 1-0 lead over Stringer Monday night in the top of the second when John Braxton McBride hit a sacrifice grounder that scored Tanner Reeves. Hicks got off of the inning for Stringer with a grounder to third that Jake Parker punched out to Jackson Parker at first base.
In the bottom of the second, Andrew Nix drew a one-out walk, and Evan Holifield hit a line drive to the right side that moved Nix to third. Bridges later stepped to the plate and got the hit to right to score Nix and knot the game. Stringer ended up stranding two runners in that at-bat.
In the bottom of the fourth, Nix doubled to left center, and Conner Smith laid down a bunt he beat out at first to advance Nix to third. Bridges then doubled to left to plate Nix and Smith for a 3-1 advantage.
Stringer added two more runs in the bottom of the fifth. Jackson Parker led off the inning with a single, and Reece Stringer entered the game to run for him. Jake Parker then stepped into the box and delivered a long drive off the right-center field wall that moved King to third. Gunner James put down a perfect sacrifice bunt that scored King for a 4-1 lead. Nix ripped a two-out, line shot that dropped in left field and pushed Jake Parker across the triangle for a 5-1 cushion.
Hicks faced a little adversity in the top of the sixth after hitting a batter and giving up a line drive to right. But, the senior made the most of the moment. With Ethel runners standing on second and third with no outs, Hicks fanned three straight to end the inning.
Ethel quickly produced three outs in the bottom of the sixth, and Jackson Parker entered the game in relief for Hicks. The freshman fanned the side to put the game in the books.
Stringer will now face Resurrection Catholic School in the third round of the playoffs. The Red Devils will travel to Pascagoula to face Resurrection Thursday evening. The series will move back to Stringer Friday, and if a game three is needed, the Red Devils will travel back to Resurrection.
Weathers expects a good series between two good teams.
“Looking at scores and stuff, they [Resurrection] hit a lot of home runs, and they’ve got some good pitchers. At this point, everybody is good. Ethel is a great team. They hit the ball well in games one and two. Hicks showed tonight who he can be, especially when he throws strikes. He limited them [Ethel], and Jackson Parker came in [to finish the game]. If we can have that kind of pitching, defense, and timely hitting, it ought to be a good series between the two of us,” Weathers said of the future matchup with Resurrection.
(Article by Heath Walley)
