Jags collect fifth win with 14-6 thumping of Wildcats
After falling to the Northside Rams in the previous game of the day, the Northridge Jaguars bounced back for a decisive win over the hosting Tuscaloosa County Wildcats. With a close 4-3 game after one inning, the Jags scored ten more runs and held the Wildcats to only three more, en route to a 14-6 win.
Mayson Elam got things started for Northridge, being hit by pitch on the fourth pitch of the game. Thomas Woolf followed with a single, moving Elam to third. After Woolf stole second, Evan Malone tripled to center, scoring Elam and Woolf. Malone scored on a wild pitch and Kyle Nunnally followed with a base on balls and moved all the way to third on a passed ball. Sawyer Thompson singled to left, scoring Nunnally and giving the Jags a 4-0 lead before the Wildcats came to the plate.
TCHS got within one run in the bottom of the first, scoring three to make it a 4-3 lead for Northridge. The Jags would score three more runs, to take a 7-3 lead after their second turn at the plate. Aiden Avery led off with a walk and Rowdy Christensen singled to move Avery into scoring position. After one out, Thomas Woolf singled to score Avery and Christensen advanced to third on the throw. After out number two, Malone’s line drive to center scored Christensen and moved Woolf to third and allowed Malone to reach second. Tayte Dunn’s follow-up single to left scored Woolf. The third out was recorded on a play at the plate, but Northridge had stretched their lead to 7-3 in the top of the second inning.
Northridge added three more in the top of the third. Nunnally singled to lead it off for the Jags. Ford Cole drew a walk, advancing Nunnally into scoring position at second. After Nunnally and Cole stole third and second, respectively, Aiden Avery sacrificed to center, scoring Nunnally. After holding at second, Cole scored on Christensen’s double to right field. Elam followed with a double of his own, to center, sending Christensen to the plate for the final run on the top of the third and stretching the Jags’ lead to 10-3 over the Wildcats.
The bats went quiet until the bottom of the fifth, when the Wildcats cut the Northridge lead to five at 10-5. The Jags responded in the top of the sixth with four more runs. Malone led off with a single and was followed by Dunn with his own single. Nunnally reached on a single to the shortstop, loading the bases with Malone at third and Dunn’s courtesy runner, Miller Arendale, advancing to second. All three runners advanced a base on a passed ball, with Malone scoring on the play. After an Avery free pass and with two outs and bases loaded again, Elam was hit by pitch, scoring Arendale, but keeping the bases loaded. The final runs of the night came from the bat of Grayson Cannon, who singled to left, scoring Nunnally and Avery and giving Northridge a 14-5 lead.
The Wildcats added a single run in the bottom of the sixth and the final inning went 1-2-3 for both teams. The final was 14-6, in favor of the good guys from The Ridge.
The Jags mustered their 14 runs on 17 hits, their highest of both categories, so far on the season. Malone led the Jags at the plate, going 4-for-5 with 3 RBIs and scoring two runs. Nunnally followed, going 3-for-4 and scoring three runs. Elam was 2-for-3, with 2 RBIs and scored one run. Woolf was 2-for-2, had one RBI and scored two runs. Christensen was 2-for-4, with one RBI and scored two runs. Thompson was 1-for-1, with one RBI. Dunn totaled two hits and one RBI. Avery scored twice and secured one BRI. Cole scored one run, as did Arendale.
The Jags (5-3) will be back in action Tuesday at Hillcrest with a game time of 7PM.