AHSAA BASEBALL PLAYOFFS: Spring Garden advances with sweep of Skyline

The Latest Local News from the Cherokee County Herald

SCOTTSBORO – It wasn’t the best of conditions to play an opening round baseball playoff series Friday night, but for the Spring Garden Panthers, the results couldn’t have turned out any better.

The Panthers (8-20) swept Skyline (7-10) by the final of 11-3 in game one and 15-1 in five innings in game two to advance to next weekend’s second round. Spring Garden will face either Cedar Bluff or Valley Head.

“We talked before the game about it being a wet field, the conditions were bad, and we had a late start, but I didn’t hear a single complaint from them,” Spring Garden coach Tony Benefield said. “They all had a positive attitude. They played well and took care of business.”

In game one, senior Andrew McLarty earned the win. He allowed four hits and struck out 12. McLarty was also 1-for-3 at the plate and scored three runs.

Dawson Broome went 2-for-5 with a double, a run and three RBIs. Ben Ivey was also 2-for-5 with three runs.

McLarty also came up big in the second game by blasting a 3-run homer. He also scored twice.

“He’s our only senior and he did what a senior is supposed to do,” Benefield said. “He just had a great night.”

Joe Rogers tossed a no-hitter in the second game. He finished with 11 strikeouts. Rogers was also 2-for-3 at the plate with two runs and a RBI.

“He just keeps getting better,” Benefield said of Rogers. “He was one pitch away from a no-hitter in his last outing against Gaylesville, and he finished it off tonight. He’s coming on at the plate too.”

Ivey went 2-for-2 with two runs and two RBIs in game two. Riley Austin was 2-for-3 with a run and a RBI. Chase Jennings added a double, a run and three RBIs. Austin Stordahl contributed a hit, a run and two RBIs. Brayden Stordahl also had a hit and scored twice.

“This is big for our team,” Benefield said. “We don’t have a great record, but of our 26 games (in the regular season), I think we’ve played 20 against playoff teams. That’s had to have helped us. We’re very young, but playing those quality teams has helped us make it to the second round. That’s big for this group, and I’m proud of them.”

Source: Cherokee County Herald

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