The Columbia Academy Cougars started off their week on a sour note, falling in their second straight loss Feb. 23 to Presbyterian Christian, 6-2. Eager to get back on track, they battled their way to a 4-3 win in a rematch with PCS Saturday afternoon, and on Monday they overpowered Amite School Center in rather impressive 24-0 shutout victory.
The bases were empty for most of the Cougars' (3-2) first matchup with PCS, with no runs scored by either team through the first 3 1/2 innings of action. Senior starting pitcher Holton Hartzog delivered another impressive performance on the hill for CA, striking out five while allowing only one run on one hit through five innings of work.
The Bobcats' pitching efforts were equally impressive, however, with the Cougars' only offensive production coming in the bottom of the fourth. Freshman Logan Buckley blasted a two-run homer over the right field fence — his second through five games this season — to give CA a 2-0 advantage midway through the contest.
The celebration of Buckley's homer was short-lived, however, as the Bobcats quickly worked their way back into the mix. Following a run for PCS in the top of the fifth, Hartzog was replaced on the mound by freshman Roman Lawrence, who was unable to find his rhythm before the Bobcats capitalized on the change. PCS tacked on another run in the sixth, followed by four more in the seventh as they distanced themselves from the Cougars for a 6-2 win.
The Cougars never trailed in their second matchup with the Bobcats, despite the game being tightly-contested from start to finish. A run in the top of the first, followed by three runs in the top of the third gave CA just enough cushion to maintain the lead and bring an end to the two-game slide.
Six Cougars recorded hits in the second outing, led by senior Mason Smith, who went 3-for-4 at the plate with 2 RBI and a double. Buckley earned the win from the mound, striking out eight and allowing only two runs on three hits through five innings. Sophomore Zeke Todd pitched the final two innings in relief, recording one strikeout and giving up one run on one hit.
Monday's win over Amite School Center was short and sweet for the Cougars, who piled it on for 14 runs in the top of the first to put the game well out of reach from the very beginning. They tacked on seven more runs in the second, along with three more in the third, bringing the display of dominance to an end in just over an hour of action.
The Cougars racked up 20 hits in the blowout win, led by senior Holdyn Sandifer, who went 3-for-5 at the plate with 3 RBI. Lawrence was a perfect 2-for-2 at the plate with a home run, a double and 2 RBI. Eighth-grader Trent Buckley was the winning pitcher, striking out six while allowing only one hit and no runs through three innings on the mound.
The Cougars will return to action at 4 p.m. Thursday with a rematch against Pascagoula in the Rex Adidas Tournament at Columbia High School. On Friday they'll take on the Purvis Tornadoes at 6:30 p.m., and the results of Thursday's and Friday's contests will determine who they'll face on Saturday.
