INMAN, S.C. – For the first time in approximately three months, the sound of a baseball popping into a catcher’s mitt was heard on a baseball field in front of a crowd.
It was music to the ears of many on Monday night at Jim Everhart Field for the 2020 Dixie Majors Baseball season. A pair of big innings told the story on this night, as Inman downed Buffalo by a final tally of 10-4. In the top of the first, Buffalo struck first by sending 10 batters up to the plate, which led to four runs on two hits, two errors, three walks, and a hit. After the rough start to the contest, Inman southpaw Jake Cothran responded well, limiting the Buffalo team to just five base runners in three and two-thirds innings of work. “We usually play better,” Buffalo head coach Tommy Ford said. “I think it’s just (because of it being) the first ballgame. I think we walked 12 people and made three or four errors. In the first (part) of the ballgame, we had the momentum going, then we started walking people, had some passed balls… Other than that, I thought we played well, but not as good as we should have.” Inman answered in the second inning with an offensive explosion of their own. Eleven men batted in the frame and scored seven runs on six walks, three hits, and a passed ball on a dropped third strike, which gave Inman a three run lead. “We didn’t start off too well,” Inman head coach Steve Skinner admitted. “Jake struggled to throw strikes in the first, then we had a couple of errors that prolonged the inning. He found a groove there for a couple of innings. Overall, I’m happy with what we did tonight.” There were also a few occasions where some players flashed the leather on defense. In the third inning, Inman first baseman Tyler Rogers chased down a foul ball on the first base side and made an outstanding diving catch, just a few steps from his teams’ dugout. At the plate, Nelson Crooke and Paxton Tolleson each drove in a pair of runs, while Grayson Selepes and Davis Starnes also scored twice for Inman. “I feel good about our team,” Skinner added. “I think we can hit a ball a little bit better than what we did tonight, but they hadn’t played any (games) in three months. It’ll come around.” Next up for Inman is a trip to Jerry “Jug” Wallace Field in Gaffney on Tuesday night. First pitch is slated for 7 PM. -Justin Mathis |
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