Alabama
-Oak Mountain beat Spain Park 13-5 in 6A action to open the weekend. Oak Mountain scored nine runs in the first two innings to open up a lead they never squandered. Jake Hubbard picked up the win, pitching five innings and giving up seven hits and five runs while walking three and striking out six.
C John David Crowe had three hits, scored two runs and drove in a pair from the leadoff spot, and RF Heath Quinn and 1B Richard Greene had three RBI each to lead the Oak Mountain offense.
Chris Ellis did not pitch, but hit very well from the DH position with two hits and three RBI. LHP Colton Freeman struck out 11 in 5 2/3 innings in relief.
-Spain Park fought back Saturday with an 11-1 win over Thompson. Ellis again led the offense going 3-3 with three runs and two RBI. RF Charlie McPherson and 2B Nathan Brock each had two RBI. Thompson LHP Jonathan Keller was roughed up, allowing eight hits, and five earned runs over three innings, striking out four.
-It took 16 innings but Spain Park picked up two victories Monday, beating Clay-Chalkville 7-6 in eight innings and Pelham 6-2 in eight. Both Ellis and Freeman threw in the Pelham game with Ellis striking out 12 and walking one in 6 1/3 innings. He allowed six hits and two earned runs. Colton Freeman came in and got the win striking out three over 1 2/3 innings. Paul Angel had three hits for the offense that pushed across four runs in the top of the 8th inning after going scoreless for six straight innings.
-In other score Clay-Chalkville lost Friday to Pelham 9-4 and Hoover 4-2 Saturday before picking up an 8-5 win over Hewitt-Trussville Monday. Pelham stayed undefeated on the year with wins over Shades Valley and a 2-1 win over Hoover. Thompson beat Hoover 3-1 and Vestavia Hills 8-5 in Monday’s Metro Tournament.
-A 2013 graduate to keep an eye on is Cullman RHP Keegan Thompson, who was 87-89 over the weekend.
Florida
-Wellington picked up a 3-1 victory over Palm Beach Central Friday. RHP Clint Knoblauch allowed only one hit in a complete game victory. C Alex Tannone went 2-3 with a triple and CF Andrew Istler also added an RBI triple.
-Archbishop McCarthy cruised to an 11-4 win over Calvary Christian. 2B Alex Fernandez went 3-4 with 2 2B, 3B, and 2 RBI for McCarthy. Chris Thompson went 2-2 with two walks an RBI and stole a base, while C Garrett Kennedy went 3-3 with an RBI and walk. SS Nick Basto also added a two-run double. Starter Andre Martinez struck out eight and allowed only three hits over four innings. Calvary was led by Taylor Gushue who went 2-3.
-McCarthy got another easy win with a 12-2 win over Port St. Lucie. Fernandez pitched a complete game to extend the Mavericks winning streak to five and Brandon Roberts hit a two-run home run to put them ahead 3-2, a lead they wouldn’t relinquish.
-Palm Beach Central beat West Boca 7-3 in a matchup of Florida Gators commits, LHP Bobby Poyner (PBC) and LHP Parker Danciu (West Boca). PBC scored three runs in the first inning off Danciu, but West Boca fought back to tie it at 3. PBC used a four-run 5th inning to hand West Boca its first loss. Jordan Brinson had two home runs on the day and Poyner had two hits and two RBI at the plate. Poyner went six innings, gave up four hits and struck out six. Brady Roberson picked up the save with a scoreless 7th.
-Flanagan continued to dominate in early season play by pounding out 18 hits in an 18-3 win over Cypress Bay. Matthew Beauchemin and Ricky Santiago had four hits, and Ryan Lozada, Robert Collin, and Mike Melendez had three each. Mike Emigh earned the victory with seven strikeouts over five innings.
Georgia
-Lassiter has won five straight after dropping their opener to defending AAAA champion Marist. They had three easy wins over the weekend, beating Sprayberry 11-1, Colquitt County 15-5, and Collins Hill 8-2. Friday against Sprayberry, Nelson Ward and Cornell Nixon combined to go 7-8 with 5 RBI, Ward had two triples.
On Saturday, Mitch Shelby got the win with five innings pitched and Keegan Corley went 4-4 at the plate. Ward, Nixon, and C Reed Anthes, batting 1-2-3 had 8 RBI on the day.
-Defending AAAAA champion Harrison has gotten off to a rough start this year losing to Alexander and Alpharetta while picking up a victory over Chattahoochee. Their matchup vs. Wheeler was rained out and rescheduled for Saturday March 12, their 4th game of the week and 3rd in four days.
-The first day of the Florida/Georgia Challenge was dominated by the state to the south with Florida winning three of the four games. # 26 Parkview (GA) got off to a good start with an 8-0 victory over a young, talented Florida Christian (FL) squad. #1 Gulliver Prep (FL) started off a very impressive tournament with an 18-14 slugfest win over Valdosta (GA), Chris Chinea led the Gulliver offense with three hits, a homerun, and 4 RBI, while every Valdosta starter either scored or drove in a run. Ponte Vedra (FL) and Pace (FL) also picked up wins over Pope (GA) and Lowndes (GA).
Saturday Gulliver had a huge day beating Pope 8-3 and Parkview 11-1. #9 Columbus (GA) split on the day with a 5-2 win over Pace and a 5-0 loss to Florida Christian. Lowndes ended the tournament with a 7-6, 11 innings win over Ponte Vedra. In the nine-game tournament, Florida won six games while Georgia won three.
-Rain put a damper on the LaGrange Invitational Tournament as all of Sunday cancelled. An all Alabama matchup between Spanish Fort and Auburn was won by 5-3 Auburn, the two time defending 6A champion.
Bolles, the only Florida school, split their two games Saturday, beating Newnan 7-6 in come from behind fashion before dropping a 2-1 decision to Loganville. Northside Columbus split their two games, losing 7-1 to Brookwood before beating Auburn 6-1. Brookwood was beaten 6-5 by Spanish Fort in their final game Saturday.
Louisiana
-Tyler Moore continues to hit going 5-7 this weekend with a HR and 2B. On the year he is 15-22 for a .682 average, 4 HR, 4 2B, and 5 SB
-Seth Stevens continues to show he is one of the best hitters in the 2012 class going 5-5 hitting for the cycle and adding a double, for a total of 8 RBI.
- Notre Dame RHP Austin Robichaux was up to 92 on Saturday.
-Catholic RHP Aaron Nola made his first appearance of the year and was 88-91.
Mississippi
-Biloxi RHP Hawtin Buchanan worked 92-94, topping out at 95. He faces off against another top 2011 Mississippi prospect, Mason Robbins, on Thursday.
-Northwest Rankin 2013 LHP Cody Livingston threw a 2 hit shutout against Hillcrest (AL). He struck out 13 and worked 85-89 with his fastball.
-Northwest Rankin 2013 grad Reid Humphreys had a big weekend, homering Friday and following it up with a 2-3 performance with a 2B and three RBI Saturday.
-Murrah RHP Zachary Bird threw a no-hitter against Provine, striking out 15 batters. His fastball was 86-90.
-Thursday featured a great pitching matchup between Madison Central’s Spencer Turnbull and Cullman (AL) Keegan Thompson. Turnbull worked 89-92, and Thompson was 87-89, as Madison took home a big victory to stay undefeated on the year.