Thursday sports: Walk offs highlight playoff baseball, softball
Ryan Moore of DeSoto Central squares to bunt during the Jaguars’ 8-3 playoff victory over Hernando Thursday night. (Bob Bakken/desotocountynews.com)
The Marc Cohn song is titled “Walking in Memphis,” but Thursday night, it was ‘walk off’ night in DeSoto County as two playoff games were determined in the home team’s final at bat of the contest.
At Center Hill, Nolan Turner’s ground ball was mishandled by the shortstop and that allowed Houston Green to score from third for the game-winning run in the bottom of the seventh. It was that run that finished off Germantown of Madison in a 7-6 Center Hill victory and a 1-1 tie in their best-of-three MHSAA 6A second round series.
The comeback came after Germantown had taken a 6-2 lead into the bottom of the sixth, but the Mustangs would score four times in the sixth to tie the contest at 6-6, setting up the late game dramatics.
The winning run came without the benefit of a hit, as Green walked, Joey Dunning was then intentionally walked, and Hunter Peeks reached base on an error. After JaMaryon Warren was out on a foul tip, Turner came to bat with the bases loaded and got the game winning error by the Germantown infielder.
Green and Scott Green each scored two of the Mustangs’ seven runs in the win. Ayden Rodgers had a two-hit night and he and Dunning each drove in two runs.
Scott Green earned the complete game victory with no walks and seven strikeouts.
The other walkoff of the night was a bit more dramatic, as Avery Taylor’s two-run blast over the center field wall in the bottom of the seventh brought Hernando back from behind to edge Lewisburg 6-5 in game one of the MHSAA 6A softball playoffs’ third round series thursday night at Hernando.
Lewisbur had rallied after falling behind to Hernando 4-2 after three innings, but the Lady Patriots scored once in the fourth and two more in the fifth for a 5-4 lead.
Callie Desmond walked to start the seventh inning for the Lady Tigers and Taylor’s blast came on a 1-2 count.
Desmond and Taylor each scored a pair of runs for Hernando in the victory, Taylor’s homer was part of a three-hit night for the left fielder, and she and Katelyn Kirkpatrick drove in two runs apiece.
For Lewisburg, Aubrey Williams and Bailee Davis each scored two runs, Leah Stokes had a pair of hits, and Williams drove in two runs.
Here is the Thursday DeSoto County scoreboard:
Thursday, May 4
Prep baseball
MHSAA 6A playoffs – second round, best of three
- Lewisburg 1, Clinton 0 (Lewisburg wins 2-0)
- Center Hill 7, Germantown (Madison) 6 (Series tied 1-1)
- DeSoto Central 8, Hernando 3 (DeSoto Central leads 1-0)
MHSAA 5A playoffs – second round, best of three
- Lake Cormorant 4, Vicksburg 3 (Lake Cormorant wins 2-0)
TSSAA D2-A district tournament-at Northpoint
- Evangelical Christian 3, Northpoint Christian 2
Prep softball
MHSAA 6A playoffs – third round, best of three
- Hernando 6, Lewisburg 5 (Hernando leads 1-0)
TSSAA D2-A district tournament at Northpoint
- Northpoint Christian 18, First Assembly Christian 0 (3 innings)
- Northpoint: Hannah Bostain (pitched no hitter, 3 strikeouts), Livvie Sowell (3 hits, 2B, HR, 6 RBIs)
Prep boys soccer
TSSAA D2-A playoffs
- Lausanne 5, Northpoint Christian 0
SPORTS ETC.: A Lewisburg High School bowler is getting some national recognition. Junior Drew Groscost is among 25 high school bowlers on the all-USA Today HSSA Boys Bowling Team. Groscost was part of the Lewisburg bowling team that won the school’s first MHSAA 6A state championship back in February. USA Today says the team members are nominees for the national Boys Bowler of the Year Award. The winner will be revealed this summer during an on-demand broadcast that will feature top athletes in 31 boys and girls sports awards categories, as well as special honors like Special Olympics Athlete of the Year, Rising Star and Play of the Year. Visit the event website for the latest updates on this year’s event. Click here for the complete team announcement from USA Today.
