SPORTS CHRONICLE HUMB
LDT
WEDNESDAY, MARCH 28, 2012
Vikings fall to South Gibson County Hornets, 9-8 BY BARRY DELOACH The Vikings have been struggling offensively at the beginning of the season but put up eight runs on Friday at home against South Gibson. It wasn’t enough as the Hornets beat the Vikings 9-8. Earlier in the week the Vikes lost a home and away series with District 14A foe Trenton Peabody. The Golden Tide won 10-2 on Monday and then 14-1 at home on Tuesday to send the Vikings to a 0-4 start in the young season. Hornets 9 Vikings 8 The Vikings dug a big hole in the first two innings against South Gibson and spent the rest of the game clawing their way out only to come up one run short in the bottom of the seventh. South Gibson sent 10 batters to the plate to begin the game and plated four. Two walks and four hits led to the four runs. In the top of the second, Phillips singled and Moore homered for the Hornets. A walk and another 2-run shot from Conner Jackson made it a huge 9-0 lead for the visiting team. Nothing was shaking for the Vikings in the first three frames. Stephon Turner had the only hit with a smattering of walks mixed in for the Vikes but the home team couldn’t string anything together until the fourth. Bailey Patterson came in to pitch midway through the second and pitched well for the Vikings the rest of the game. In the Humboldt fourth, A.J. Hodge reached on a fielder’s choice and Grant Brittain walked to put a couple of runners on base. Jaylen Montague ran for Brittain and both runners advanced a base and were in scoring position.
Blake Sherron singled them home to make it 9-2. After an error Sherron ended up at third base. Quintavious Jennings then laid down a pretty sacrifice bunt. Sherron scored to make it 9-3 after four innings. Patterson shut down the Hornets in the fifth.
The Vikes closed the gap when Daniel Blankenship singled and Ryeon Wedley walked. Blankenship scored on a sac bunt off the bat of Luke Brittain. Wedley then scored on a hit by DH Tevin Bryson. The Vikings went to the seventh, still a 9-5 game, and were down
to their last three outs. With one down, Wedley hit his first homerun of the year to cut the lead to 9-6. Humboldt kept chipping away as L. Brittain singled and Bryson reached on a fielder’s choice. Hodge doubled for his second hit of the game to drive home Brittain and Daylon Ballard, who
Down & Dirty
photo by BARRY DELOACH
HEAD FIRST SLIDE - Shortstop, A.J. Hodge, dives head first into third base during District 14A action at Peabody. The Vikes lost to the Golden Tide 10-2 last Monday at Peabody.
was running for Bryson. Bryson stood at second as the tying run and went to third on a groundout. There were two down and now the tying run just 90 feet away. a fly ball to right ended the game for the Vikings. It was a great comeback for Humboldt but just came up short. Coach Yates was proud of the way his team fought back but made it clear that digging too big a hole early in the game was just too much to overcome. The Vikings are on the road this week at Ripley on Monday and then will play several games in the Sports Plus Classic in Jackson. Tide 10 Vikings 2 Tide 14 Vikings 1 Game one stats were unavailable from the Trenton game on Monday of last week. Coach Yates said the Vikings gave up eight runs in the first two innings but battled the next five innings for a 2-2 score. The Tide took game 1 by the final of 10-2. On Tuesday at home, walks, errors and two hits led to three Peabody runs as they led 3-0 after a half inning. The Vikings got one of those runs back in their half of the first. Antonio Brooks walked, moved to third on a couple of ground balls and then scored on a wild pitch to make it 3-1. It would be the only run of the day for the Vikings. Peabody added single runs in the second and fourth to make it 5-1. In the bottom of the fifth, Hodge triple to lead off for the Vikings but two strikeouts and a ground out left Hodge stranded at third. Peabody then blew the game open in the top of the sixth as they scored nine times to put the Vikings away at 14-1.
Jones to be inducted into GC Sports Hall of Fame The Gibson County Sports Hall of Fame banquet is set for April 13. Ralph Jones III is among inductees. This year’s banquet begins at 6:30 p.m. at Peabody High School in Trenton. Tickets are available at local high schools. William “Ralph” Jones III Humboldt High School Sports •13 letters in three years with five sports
•Football (3 years) – quarterback and co-captain, senior year record 10-1 •Basketball (3 years)– starting point guard for 2 years •Baseball (3 years) – starting center fielder for 3 years. Team senior year made it to semi-finals of state only to be beaten by eventual state champion. Prior to classifications by size of school. •Track (3 years) – Sprinter
individually and for relays. Won district in 3 events. Chosen Outstanding Runner in Mid-West Track meet. •Tennis (1 year) – Played #1 in singles and #1 in doubles. Rhodes College Sports •8 letters in 3 sports •Football (4 years) – 1 year back-up quarterback, 1 year wide receiver, 2 years cornerback. Started 3 years and served as Co-
Captain Senior year. Junior year team had record of 9-1-1 and the team was inducted into the Rhodes Sports Hall of Fame for multiple school records including most interceptions for the season. Individual school record was set by Jones for 5 blocked kicks in one season. •Track (2 years) – Sprinter individually and for relays. Conference best sprint time in
100 yard and 220 yard dash preliminaries of Conference Championship. •Baseball (2 years) – starting right fielder. Senior year led team for season in hitting, runs scored, and stolen bases. Team won Conference title both years and record versus local schools including Union, Lambuth, Bethel, and Christian Brothers University was 9-1.
Lady Viking softball team loses double dip at Greenfield BY BARRY DELOACH Humboldt opened District 14A play on Tuesday of last week with a double-header at Greenfield.
VIKING WATCH
HHS BASEBALL Sports Plus Inv. Vikings vs JCM at JCM - Mar 28 Scotts Hill at N.S. - Mar29 Liberty at Libery - Mar 30 Chester Co at Liberty - Mar 30 Regular Season Bradford - Apr 2 - DH HHS SOFTBALL Gibson Co - Mar 30 at Gibson Co - Apr 2
The Lady Yellow Jackets beat the Lady Vikings 9-3 in game 1 and then 15-3 in the nightcap. Also last week on Monday, the Lady Vikes hosted South Gibson and lost at home to the tune of 24-0. Greenfield 9 Humboldt 3 After two rough losses to South Gibson, The Lady Vikings finally felt like they were in the ballgame. Ja’Lisa Smith reached first on an error by the Greenfield shortstop but was stranded at second. The Lady Yellow Jackets used the long ball in the bottom half of the second with a 3-run dinger to take a 3-0 lead. There wasn’t much shaking for the Lady Vikes in their half of the second. Greenfield added a couple of unearned runs to push their lead to 6-0. The Lady Vikings got back into the game in the top of the third as they plated three. Smith, Chelsea Haggard and Latia Collins all scored to pull the Lady Vikings to within 6-3 with two out. Brooks, Melanie Gillespie and Keandrea Pankey all reached via the walk but the big two out hit did not come leaving the bases juiced. Humboldt played stout defense in the third as Smith and Collins
made nice plays at short and third to keep it a 6-3 game. The Lady Vikes loaded the bases in the top of the fourth but were unable to push anyone across the plate. Lexus Decker got
a one-out single, Smith walked, and Haggard got hit by a pitch. Humboldt had two shots at scoring but a strikeout and force out ended the scoring threat. Greenfield added three more
BIG SWING - Lady Viking Latia Collins takes a big cut on this pitch. The Lady Vikings lost at home last week to South Gibson on Monday and then lost a double header at Greenfield 9-3 and 15-3.
J.W.’s Auto & Radiator
1106 N. Central, Humboldt • 784-3633
Oil Change (up to 5 quarts) - $1995 Brakes (NAPA Pads) - $6295
(Front or Back Includes Turning Rotors and Drums) $ (starts at)
Custom Exhaust
125
)BWFUIFQSJNBSZ4PDJBM4FDVSJUZOVNCFSBOEZFBSPGCJSUISFBEZ $FOUSBM"WF )VNCPMEU 5/ 1IPOF 'BY
NGPXMFS!ISCMPDLDPN
tallies in the bottom of the frame to make it 9-3. Humboldt’s Gillespie walked but was left stranded in the fifth to end the game. Smith, Haggard and Collins scored the runs for the Lady Vikings as they dropped to 0-3 on the season. Greenfield 15 Humboldt 3 Greenfield was the visiting team in the second game and they jumped all over the Lady Vikings in the first scoring 10 runs. The Lady Vikings found themselves in a big hole but fought back in the bottom half of the first. Decker singled and went to third on a one-out hit from Haggard. Haggard easily scored as Collins tripled to make it 10-2. Pankey was hit by a pitch and Gillespie singled to put runners at first and second. Brooks grounded out to end the inning. The Lady Yellow Jackets added to their run total in the top of the second to take a 15-2 advantage over the Lady Vikings. Humboldt’s Bridges walked and scored on hit from Decker to make it 15-3, which was the final as Greenfield coasted to the win. Decker, Haggard and Bridges scored for only runs for the Lady Vikings.