The West Marion Trojans took their first two losses in Region 8-3A action to the Seminary Bulldogs, both of which were tightly-knit contests decided by only one run. They bounced back in a big way on April 2, however, with a thrilling 18-14 road win over the Northeast Jones Tigers to regain momentum entering this week's district series against St. Stanislaus.
The Trojans (12-10, 4-3) owned the lead for most of the evening in their series opener March 29 against Seminary. Sophomore Jude Stringer earned a pair of early RBI with a double in the top of the second that brought home Trace McDonald and Tyler Aikens, and he stole home for a third run following a wild pitch later in the inning to extend the lead. Another double in the following inning — this time hit by McDonald — brought around Kollin Green to give West Marion a 4-0 advantage entering the fourth.
Stringer delivered a strong performance on the mound, tossing five strikeouts and allowing four hits and only one run through four innings.
The lead was unraveled in the sixth, however, with a four-run side for the Bulldogs. West Marion was unable to put the ball in play in the top of the seventh, and three straight outs ended the contest with a 5-4 loss.
Game 2 Friday followed a similar script. Aikens scored a go-ahead run in the bottom of the fifth on a fielder's choice to give the Trojans a 2-1 lead. Kolby Stringer pitched well as the starter, striking out seven and allowing only one run through five innings, but again the Bulldogs battled back in the sixth to recapture the lead. The Trojans went three-up and three-down in the seventh, falling in a 3-2 loss.
With both wins having been within reach for West Marion, head coach Derrick Jerkins said he hopes the series helps teach the Trojans the importance of consistency at the plate and finishing strong as they prepare for their final four district contests.
"We had a lead in both games going into the sixth," Jerkins recalled. "I thought we pitched pretty well, especially our starters, but I guess what it all boils down to is that we've got to find more ways to get things going on offense. We have to be more consistent at the plate and come up with hits in key situations."
Unlike their two defensive struggles with Seminary, the Trojans' bats got hot early over the weekend at Northeast Jones and never cooled off. Riding on the momentum of a four-run first inning, West Marion piled it on to carry a 9-0 lead into the fifth inning. The hosting Tigers battled back with eight runs of their own in the fifth and sixth, but the Trojans tacked on seven more runs in the seventh to pull away for what ultimately went down as an 18-14 victory.
Eli Street led the charge for the Trojans at the plate, driving in 4 RBI on two hits in the contest. McDonald was the winning pitcher, tossing three strikeouts and allowing only two hits with no runs through three innings on the mound. The last of six Trojans to take the mound that day was Stringer, who came in during the seventh to retire the side and secure the win.
This week West Marion will take on region rival St. Stanislaus, who holds the top spot in the region standings at 12-7 overall and 4-0 against district opponents. A pair of wins over the Rock-A-Chaws would propel the Trojans into first place in the region with only two weeks remaining in regular season play, which Jerkins said is the goal his team has its eyes on entering the series.
"First place is still a possibility for us, and as long as that's the case, that's still our goal," Jerkins said. "They're going to be a quality team, and they're going to have good arms, but the goal is to go in and sweep them so that we can try to win this district. We've just got to take it one game at a time, try to find a little more consistent barrels and clear the bases whenever we have the chance. If we can do that, I feel good about our chances of making it a really good series."
The Trojans played Game 1 Tuesday and lost 7-6. West Marion will host Game 2 on Friday and will take on Picayune at home Saturday.
