Rick Patrick: Greene Publishing, Inc.
The Madison County High School (MCHS) Cowboys varsity baseball team continues to show improvement over last season, despite mixed results for the team to end the week on Friday, April 12. The Cowboys now have a record of 12-5 for the season.
On Thursday, April 11, the Cowboys took a trip to Tallahassee to face the Marauders of Maclay School. The Cowboys tallied a total of 10 hits, including homers by Blaydon Plain and Dawson Rutherford on their way to winning the contest, 16-3, in five innings. The Cowboys scored runs in each inning, including a six-run fourth inning.
Riley Borgert went three-for-three at the plate with two RBIs. Daquarius Thompkins had one hit in his three trips to the plate with one RBI. Rutherford went two-for-three with three RBIs and one home run. Plain went one-for-one in the batter's box with three RBIs and a home run. Sam Odiorne had one hit in three at-bats with three RBIs.
Borgert spent four innings on the mound for the Cowboys, giving up six hits, three earned runs and two walks. Dilan Lawson pitched one inning, giving up no hits, no earned runs and striking out one batter.
On Friday, April 12, the Cowboys were home to take on the Wildcats of Valdosta High School. In this contest, the Cowboys fell into a 7-0 hole during the first inning. Although they fought back, the hole proved to be too deep for the home team, as the Cowboys fell to the Wildcats, 8-4. The Cowboys managed to score two runs in the bottom of the third inning. Then, in the bottom of the fifth, Plain opened with belting a deep fly ball that sailed over the wall, just right of the 351-foot mark for his second homer in as many games, raising the total number of team homers to nine for the season, with seven games remaining on the regular season schedule. Last season, the Cowboys had five home runs for the season. Even with Plain's solo home run, the Cowboys were unable to pose more of a threat to the Wildcat's lead.
Thompkins went one-for-two at the plate with one RBI. Plain was one-for-three with one RBI and a solo home run. Logan Lepper tallied one RBI as a result of a walk.
Thompkins, Vinsonta Allen and Odiorne shared time on the mound for the Cowboys, giving up nine hits, two earned runs and four walks, while striking out four Wildcat batters.
The Cowboys are scheduled to play host to another Valdosta team, the Valiants of Valwood School on Wednesday, April 17. The first pitch is scheduled for 7 p.m. at Cowboy field.