February 26, 2010

Maroon Tide blanks Bowling Green 16-0 in opener

by Carey Meitzler

Picayune--Picayune officially opened its season with 16-0 blanking of the Bowling Green (LA) Buccaneers at the Field of

Dreams in a game shortened to five innings due to the ten run rule.

The Maroon Tide scored a run in the bottom of the first when Braxton Lee laid down a bunt single and Jay Dedeaux followed

with a walk.  The runners moved up one base on a passed ball and Lee scored when he tagged up on Brandon Jurich's fly ball

in foul territory down the first base line.

Colton Lee got the Tide going in the second inning with a single to right.  Drew Hedgepeth hit into a fielder's choice and Lee beat

the late throw to second base.  Tevin Stubbs walked to load the bases.  Leadoff hitter Smith bunted and the pitcher fielded the

ball cleanly, but he overthrew his catcher at home allowing both Lee and Hedgepeth to score to make it 3-0.  Lefthanded hitting

Braxton Lee took a pitch the other way for a triple into deep left center field driving in Stubbs and Smith.  Catcher Jay Dedeaux

was hit by a pitch and Matt Archer entered as a courtesy runner. After a passed ball, Jurich doubled to left center bringing home

Lee to make it 6-0.  Jonathan Hickman double to left center bringing in Archer and Jurich to make it 8-0.

In the third, Hedgepeth singled off the glove of the short stop to start the inning.  Stubbs walked and Eric Smith's fly ball to right

field was dropped to load the bases.  Braxton Lee collected two more RBIs with a single plating Hedgepeth and Stubbs. 

Dedeaux single past the first baseman to bring in Smith and Lee moved to third base on the play.  Jurich was hit by a pitch.  

Kyle Beech singled to left center to bring in two more runs pushing the lead to 14-0.

In the bottom of the fourth, pinch hitter Kurt Smith walked and stole second base.  Kezantaa Kelly made the most of his pinch

hit at bat with a double to left that pushed across Smith.  Kelly later scored on a wild pitch to complete the scoring.

Jonathan Hickman went the distance on the mound allowing just two hits.