Marty Stamper/Staff Reporter
The Newton Record
UNION
April 23, 2008 02:30 pm
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The Union Yellowjackets made a quick exit from the Class 2A baseball playoffs, losing 11-8 and 16-5 to St. Andrew’s Episcopal School in their best-of-three series.
Union wrapped up 2008 with a 10-17 record under first-year head coach Justin Stovall. The 10 wins are the fewest for the ‘Jackets since the 1999 team finished 5-17.
Against St. Andrew’s, Union pitchers gave up a dozen walks in Game 1 and three home runs in Game 2.
“You’ve got to throw strikes to win,” Stovall said. “We could have hit with them, but when you walk seven or eight and then throw it down the middle, you don’t stand a chance.
“Our season was definitely one with ups and downs, but any time you make the playoffs it’s definitely a good thing. We look to build on that going into next year.”
St. Andrew’s 11, Union 8
With the game tied at 7-7 through six innings, the Saints outscored the ‘Jackets 4-1 in the seventh inning to win Saturday’s series opener at Union after Friday’s contest was rained out.
Union wriggled out of a pair of jams in the first two innings and took a 3-0 lead in the bottom of the second.
After St. Andrew’s tied the game in the top of the third, the ‘Jackets picked up two runs in the bottom of the third to go back up 5-3.
The Saints then claimed a 7-5 lead with four runs in the top of the fourth, but Union rallied to pull even with single runs in the fifth and sixth frames.
Jonathan Gibbs hit a pair of solo homers for Union, 10-16. Brandon Kennedy had a single and a double. Garrett Clark had a double with Tyler Germany and Roderick Hawkins both getting RBI singles. Jordan Smith and Trey Sistrunk both had a single. James Barnett had one RBI with a sacrifice fly.
Winning pitcher Eliot Varney (5-2) had a two-run double and a single to lead St. Andrew’s. William Flowers had a single and a double to drive in two runs. Robinson Crawford had two singles and two RBI. Greg McMillan added a two-run double.
In the top of the seventh, Gibbs retired the first two Saints before giving up a walk and hitting the next batter with a pitch. Varney’s two-run double gave the Saints the lead for good.
Gibbs (3-3) took the loss in relief. In three innings, he allowed three hits and four walks.
Sistrunk started and gave up eight walks and six hits in four innings.
St. Andrew’s 16, Union 5
Union took a 4-0 lead in the top of the first inning only to have the Saints rack up 10 runs in the bottom of the first in Monday’s Game 2 at Ridgeland.
St. Andrew’s added three more runs in the bottom of the second to take a 13-4 lead and closed out the game in the sixth inning.
In the top of the first, Union got an RBI triple from Trey Sistrunk, an RBI double from Brandon Kennedy, and an RBI single from Garrett Clark.
In their half of the inning, the Saints got a grand slam from Greg McMillin and a three-run blast from Robinson Crawford.
Chandler Anthony closed out the game with a two-run shot in the sixth.
Kennedy (1-4) took the loss as he was unable to escape the first inning.
Sistrunk also had a single to go with his triple. Jordan Smith and Tyler Germany both had a single.
Crawford had a single and a double in addition to his home run for the Saints. William Flowers had two singles and a triple. Anthony had a double and a homer.
Eliot Varney (6-2) got the win with six innings of relief of Anthony.
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