Brawl in the Fall opens with Panther loss to Wildcats

If Lorne Tucker could have taken away the first and last innings of Wednesday’s first game in the annual Brawl in the Fall tournament, Perry High would get the 0 off the wins side of the 2013 record.

But all seven innings counted when the Panthers hosted Locust Grove High on a warm late afternoon start, and the Wildcats from Henry County took the victory 9-1.

The shining star for Perry was Melissa Eckman and her 6 2/3 innings of relief pitching.

She was one out away from making it seven full frames of shutout ball, but control problems sent Locust Grove from leading 5-1 (a score that stuck on the board from the second inning to the seventh) to scoring four more times. Kaley Sikes, the starting pitcher, returned to the circle to record the final out.

The Wildcats opened things up with a pesky approach at the plate. They got a leadoff single, and followed it with consecutive bunts. Both runners reached base, and a throwing error allowed them to take the 1-0 lead.

On two walks, two wild pitches and a hit batter, four more runs touched home. Eckman recorded all three outs – two on strikeouts – in the inning.

From the second to the sixth, Eckman blanked Locust Grove on just two hits and four walks. She struck out six, and her defense came through in the top of the sixth. Amber Garrett caught a line drive playing third base, and Sikes started a good rundown from first base where she ran all the way to third and covered that base to make the ending tag.

Mattie Hamilton started at shortstop but donned the catching gear for six innings as Tucker made numerous moves to get all of his players involved.

Perry didn’t muster much offensively as the only run scored without a hit in the bottom of the second. Eckman earned the RBI drawing a bases-loaded walk, but the inning ended with Panthers on all bags.

Hamilton singled in the third inning but was erased on a double play. Locust Grove also turned a DP in the fourth. Sikes had two hits and Sabrina Doucette doubled with two outs in the home fifth.

The Wildcats had four walks and two hits in scoring four times in the seventh.

• In another Brawl in the Fall game played Wednesday, Houston County High received Hayley Tierce’s third home run of the season plus seven complete innings from her to beat Crawford County 9-1. Tierce pitched a four-hitter, and she added a sacrifice fly at the plate to go with her three-run HR.

Four Bears had multi-hit games, Carson Carriker gaining the most with three safeties. Amber Coy doubled and singled for two RBI.

Play continued Thursday, and the Bears scored five runs in the third inning to beat Northside-Columbus 5-0. Hittinger pitched a one-hitter, and she led off that third inning with a hit. The Bears had five hits in the rally, Tierce doubling home two runs. Coy added a sacrifice fly.

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