Hawks hardball rallies for district win
Clinton Middle School Hawks baseball showed resilience this week, splitting a two-game district series with North Middle, dropping a 6-4 contest at home Tuesday before responding with a 13-9 win on the road Thursday.
On Tuesday at the Fairgrounds, the Hawks fell behind early and were unable to fully recover. North capitalized in the first inning, taking advantage of timely hitting, walks, and a Clinton error to build an early lead they would not relinquish.
Despite the deficit, Clinton continued to battle at the plate. Pierson Lollar led the Hawks offensively, going a perfect 3-for-3 with two RBIs.
The Hawks collected six hits on the night but were unable to overcome North’s early advantage and eight walks drawn by the visitors.
Clinton flipped the script in Thursday’s rematch, exploding offensively in a 13-9 win highlighted by a decisive fourth inning.
The Hawks jumped out early, scoring three runs in the first inning behind a two-run double from Bryce Slaven and an RBI groundout by Aiden Ortiz.
They added two more runs in the second on extra-base hits from Brock Smith and Deacon McGhee to take a 5-0 lead.
North responded with a six-run second inning to briefly take control, but Clinton answered in a big way.
Trailing 8-5, the Hawks erupted for eight runs in the fourth inning, reclaiming the lead for good.
The rally showcased patience and timely hitting, as Clinton drew multiple walks and delivered key hits to break the game open.
Slaven led the offense with three RBIs, while Rylan Boshears, Slaven, and McGhee each recorded two hits.
The Hawks totaled 10 hits, and showed strong plate discipline with seven walks.
On the mound, Pierson Lollar started for Clinton, with Cole Sellers providing relief as the Hawks held on down the stretch.
The split moves Clinton (6-5, 2-4) forward with momentum heading into next week, where they will host Rutledge on Monday for Eighth-grade Night before a regular-season makeup game with Norris Middle at home on Wednesday night.
The Hawks will host the Class AA baseball District 2 tournament on Tuesday, April 21, and Thursday, April 23, with the top two teams moving on to the Class AA Region 1 baseball tournament at Cherokee High School on Saturday, May 2.
