Winston Academy had a busy week on the baseball diamond, picking up a pair of victories in five contests.
The Patriots split a district doubleheader with Canton Academy last Tuesday, winning 6-5 in the nightcap after dropping an 8-1 decision to the host Panthers. Canton took the series on Thursday with an 18-7 win, and on Friday, Winston dropped a 15-5 decision to Kirk Academy. On Saturday, the Patriots rebounded to knock off Ethel 13-3 to improve to 6-7 on the season.
Winston was scheduled to visit East Rankin Academy Monday and will host ERA on Thursday this week. Friday, the Patriots are slated to go to Benton Academy.
Next week, Winston is scheduled to host Starkville Academy on Tuesday (April 3), go to Starkville Academy on Thursday (April 5) and host Winona on Saturday (April 7).
Last Tuesday in their district series opener at Canton, Winston fell behind 3-0 in the third inning and played catch up the rest of the way.
Luke Bigham singled, doubled and scored for the Patriots, while Nicholas Dempsey doubled and Josh McGinnis singled and drove in a run. Peyton McCool, Hunter Gregory and Bryce Waggoner all singled.
Dempsey was the losing pitcher, going six innings and giving up five earned runs while striking out four.
In the second game, Winston scored three times in the top of the third inning to go up 4-2 and held on in a tight seesaw battle.
Jesse Boydstun was 3-for-3 with a home run, a double, two runs and an RBI and McCool had two hits and and RBI to lead Winston.
Aiden Fancher singled and drove in two runs; Bigham singled, scored twice and had an RBI; Waggoner and Nick Dempsey singled and scored; and Gregory also singled.
McGinnis and Boydstun combined to allow four earned runs and strike out eight on the mound.
Thursday, the Patriots committed 12 errors in a disappointing 18-7 loss to the Panthers. Bigham surrendered eight runs in the first inning – none of them earned – with Waggoner and McGinnis finishing up on the mound.
McCool homered and drove in four runs and Boydstun singled, doubled and scored for the Pats. Waggoner had two hits and a run scored; Bigham singled and drove in two runs; Nicholas Dempsey scored twice and drove in a run; and Fancher and Noah Dempsey both scored.
On Friday, visiting Kirk scored in every inning but one as the Patriots fell 15-5 despite a couple of home runs from Boydstun.
He finished 3-for-4 with two runs and two RBIs and McCool singled, scored and drove in one. Nicholas Dempsey singled and drove in one; Waggoner singled and scored; Jackson Joiner singled; and McGinnis scored.
Nicholas Dempsey was the first of five Winston pitchers and took the loss.
On Saturday, the Patriots pounded out 13 hits in a rout-shortened win over Ethel. Winston trailed 3-2 after three innings but scored eight times in the fourth inning and pushed across three more in the sixth.
Boydstun was 3-for-5 with two runs and two RBIs and McGinnis was 3-for-4 with two runs and an RBI. All 13 Winston hits were singles.
McCool finished with two hits and two RBIs; Waggoner singled, scored twice and had two RBIs; Joiner singled, drove in three and scored once; Gregory singled, scored twice and drove in one; Nicholas Dempsey singled and drove in one; Fancher singled and scored; Noah Dempsey scored and drove in a run; and Bigham and Hayze Gregory both scored.
Colby Allen went six innings to get the win on the mound, allowing four hits and one earned run. Bigham finished up.
