The Alice Lloyd Eagles baseball team was busy over spring break as they traveled to Grayson (KY) for a doubleheader before heading south to Pigeon Forge and Madisonville (TN) for 4 games. Below are recaps of each game.
MARCH 7
Game 1
ALC – 5 | Kentucky Christian University – 18
Leading 3-2 after two innings, the Eagles saw KCU rally with 11 runs over the next two innings to pull away. ALC was outhit 12-7. No statistics were provided for the game.
Game 2
ALC – 7 | Kentucky Christian University – 5
The Eagles bounced back from a 4-1 deficit to salvage a split.
ALC scored 1 in the opener only to watch the hosts score 4 big runs in the second inning.
Alice Lloyd would earn 1 run back in the third, then respond with 3 runs in the fourth to pull ahead, 5-4.
KCU would tie things at 5-5 in their next at-bat, but the Eagles responded with 2 runs in the fifth, and then slammed the door shut to earn the nice win.
Sophomore Dalton Cornett and freshman Noah Dingess each stepped up as Cornett smacked two doubles while Dingess rapped a triple and a double. He also joined senior Hayden Martin with 2 RBI’s each. Junior Chance Cornett also added a double and 1 RBI.
The sophomore duo of Erric Sexton and Adam Carnahan combined to earn the pitching victory.
ALC was outhit 10-6, but helped themselves by committing fewer errors (4-1).
MARCH 12
ALC – 1 | Johnson University – 4
The Eagles were never able to get the crucial hit they needed as they dropped a single-game decision to Johnson.
JU struck first with 3 runs in the third. The score held until Alice Lloyd finally broke through with 1 run in the sixth.
Unfortunately, that would account for the only run of the day as the Eagles were unable to get any closer.
Dalton Cornett, along with juniors Peyton Buford and Juan Lander each had a single, as the Eagles were outhit 13-3.
Freshman Layne McClure suffered the defeat on the mound.
MARCH 13
ALC – 3 | Union College Bulldogs – 22
The Eagles only trailed 2-1 entering the fifth inning before the wheels came off and Union exploded for 18 runs one inning later.
UC stuck in the first when 1 run scored on a grounder. However, Alice Lloyd earned that back in the second when junior Alex White smashed a 3-2 pitch over the left field wall to tie the score.
An error in the fourth allowed Union to retake the lead, and the score read 2-1 as the fifth inning approached.
In the fifth, the Eagles experienced an inning that’s best off forgotten as UC could do no wrong. They produced 18 runs before the third out was finally registered, and won going away.
ALC senior Garrett Gay would smack a 2 run homer in the last inning, but it was too-little-too-late.
Senior Dylyn Brown suffered the loss as five pitchers appeared for Alice Lloyd.
Union won the hitting war, 18-5.
MARCH 16
Game 1
ALC – 1 | Hiwassee Tigers – 7
The Tigers spread their runs out as they earned the home victory.
Hiwassee scored 1 in the first, 1 in the second, and 2 in the fifth before ALC could respond.
The Eagles scored their lone run in the fifth only to watch the home teams ice the game with a 3-run seventh.
Hayden Martin had 2 hits, including a double, while Dalton Cornett’s double drove in the lone run.
Freshman Matt Brown suffered the loss on the mound.
Hiwassee won the hitting battle, 8-5.
Game 2
ALC – 1 | Hiwassee Tigers – 2
The final game of the week was a battle that went to the very end before the hosts prevailed, 2-1.
The Tigers took a 1-0 lead in the second inning.
In the top of the third, Juan Lander doubled. He would then tie the score following an RBI single from Alex White.
The contest then remained a pitcher’s duel until the bottom of the seventh, when Hiwassee finally broke through and scored the winning run in their last at-bat.
The Eagles outhit their foes 5-4 as both squads saw their pitchers perform well.
Chance Cornett and freshman Will Gladson combined to allow only 4 hits with 0 earned runs, and record 9 strikeouts, but Gladson suffered the hard-luck defeat.