After losing two games during Spring Break, the East Webster Wolverines saw things continue to dissolve last week in Class 2A, Region 2 play.
Taking on rival Choctaw County in two ball games, the Wolverines let the game spiral and fell by double digit runs in both games. EWHS also got shutout in a 10-0 game against Oak Hill Academy on Saturday in just five innings.
In the first game of a 14-4 run-rule loss in five innings, the Wolverines looked like they were in control in the first inning as Choctaw County pitcher Clark Crowley was a little shaky on the mound early.
The Wolverines walked three times and had two hits with Chandler Hodges delivering the big blow with an opposite field two-run home run to right center making it a 4-0 lead.
Kaiden Simmons couldn’t get a quick bottom of the first though as the Chargers were able to score after the first five batters reached. Eli Dale’s RBI double was the big hit of the inning.
In the second, Choctaw County had four walks, a hit batter and an error to increase that lead to 7-4. They had three more walks in the third inning and then CJ Clark cleared the bases to blow the game open and make it 12-4 with his three-run double.
In the fifth, the Chargers got two more runs across to book the run rule.
For EWHS, the team had just three hits in the game so offense wasn’t a superlative for the Wolverines. Beyond Hodges’ big home run, Hastings Gibson got the first run of the game on an RBI groundout continuing what had been a big week plus for him.
Coach Blake Hutchison spent a long time in the outfield talking to his players after the game on Monday night about the opportunity for redemption on Friday and how the team must play better
“It was just mostly about toughness and being tough. We came out and hit them in the mouth and they responded and we absolutely folded. We’ve got to be tougher than that,” Hutchison said. “It stinks but it’s not the end of the world. We’ve got to fix us and not worry so much about the other side.”
Things didn’t get much better on Friday for the Wolverines. They gave up a six spot in the fifth inning in Cumberland that would lead to the second run-rule of the week in a 15-4 blowout. EWHS trailed 8-0 in three innings before they were able to break through with a four-run bottom of the third to tighten things up but yet again that would be the only inning they would score.
Delivering just three hits in the game, EWHS didn’t have any extra base hits. The Wolverines did walk five times. Hodges surrendered 11 runs with six of those earned and walked six batters in his 3.0 innings pitched with five hits and two strikeouts.
Kaleb Warnock got a couple of outs in his stint and didn’t allow any base runners while striking out a batter.
The five-straight losses has dropped the Wolverines to 8-7 on the season and 2-2 in Region 2 play. The team was back in action on Tuesday night at Hamilton at 7 p.m. They will play at home against Neshoba Central at 6 p.m. and will play Pelahatchie on the road on Saturday at 2:30.
