Hornetsʼ win over Maroons was sixth in a row

The Hornets won their sixth consecutive game with an 8-5 decision over Madisonville-North Hopkins during the final game of the team’s spring break trip to Ft. Walton Beach, Florida Thursday. Hancock County (7-4) went 3-0 on the week.

The Hornets took a 2-0 lead in the second inning. Ryan Jones led off with a hit then stole second. He advanced to third when the Maroons’ pitcher walked the following two batters. Both Jones and Jack Duncan scored on defensive errors.

Drew Lyday was hit by a wild pitch in the third. He stole second and scored when Kaleb Keown ripped an RBI double. Jones got the boys out of the dugout when he crushed a home run over the right-field fence to give HCHS a 5-0 advantage.

Madisonville plated a run in the home half of the third, but the Hornets got right back on the horse in the fourth.

Andrew Boutcher singled with two outs and Lyday followed with a base hit. Keown drew a base on balls to load the bases and Jones knocked in a run with a base hit. Duncan then drew a bases loaded walk to make the score 7-1. The team’s final run came in the sixth when Duncan doubled and scored on a hit by Logan Willis.

The Maroons scored runs in the fourth and sixth innings before Sam Walz got two fly outs to Boutcher in right-field to end the game.

Jordan Payne got the win on the mound. He allowed three runs (none earned) on one hit, with seven Ks and eight walks over four innings. Ryan Ogle allowed two runs (one earned) on four hits, with two Ks, two walks and one hit batsmen in 2.1 frames. Walz finished off the final inning.

Jones was 3 for 4 at the plate with the homer, two runs scored and three RBI. Lyday was 2 for 3, Duncan was 1 for 2 with a double, an RBI and two runs scored. Boutcher and Willis were both 1 for 3, Keown was 1 for 4 with a double and one RBI and Austin Volocko was 1 for 4 with a double.

Note: Andrew Boutcher has been on a tear recently in regards to reaching base. The senior now has a team best OBP of .645.

By Steve Wimmer