Colonels edged twice Saturday in back-and-forth battles
After starting the 2017 season with five consecutive wins, the Cass Colonels suffered a pair of closely contested losses on the baseball diamond Saturday at the Cass High School athletic complex.
Despite holding leads in both games, Cass lost by one run to both Rockmart and Alexander.
ROCKMART 9, CASS 8
The Colonels lost for the first time this season Saturday morning in a back-and-forth battle with visiting Rockmart.
The Class AA 7th-ranked Yellow Jackets took a 4-0 lead in the second inning, but Cass posted five runs in the bottom of the third to regain the lead. Rockmart went back ahead 6-5 in the fourth and the Colonels scored twice in the fifth to lead 7-6.
Rockmart’s three-run sixth inning gave them a 9-7 lead and Cass managed only one more run in the bottom of the sixth for a 9-8 final.
Cass out hit Rockmart 10 to 7, but did not make that difference show on the scoreboard.
Evan Hinton (2 RBI), Bailey Campbell, and Jake Collum had two hits each for the Colonels. Cody Johnson, who suffered the pitching loss by working the sixth and seventh innings on the mound, drove in one run with one hit. Steven Spell also had a hit and Zach Yancey finished with two RBIs.
ALEXANDER 6, CASS 5
In their second tight game of the day, the Colonels were edged by visiting Alexander 6-5.
Cass led 3-0 after two innings and 5-2 at the end of the fourth inning, but the Cougars scored three in the fifth and the game-winner in the top of the seventh to slip past the Colonels.
Jake Collum had a two-hit game that included a double and scored a run for Cass. Nathan Smith drove in a pair of runs and was 1-for-3. Zach Yancey and Tyler Hendon had the only other Cass base hits, although the Colonels drew five walks.
Three Cougars had two-hit games: Matthew Rhodes, Zach Smith (2 RBI), and Gavin Harmon (RBI).
Payton Grant (3.2 IP, 1ER, 2H, 1BB, 5K) picked up the pitching win for Alexander in relief of Braden Racka (3.1 IP, 4ER, 3H, 4BB, 3K).
Collum (2 IP, 1ER, 3H, 0BB, 3K) was saddled with the pitching loss in relief. Yancey (5 IP, 5R, 4ER, 8H, 3BB, 4K) was the Colonels’ starter on the mound.
Alexander, who also beat Hiram 12-0 Saturday afternoon at Cass, improved to 3-2 on the year.
Cass (5-2) hosts Sonoraville Tuesday at 5:55pm, River Ridge Wednesday at 5:55pm, and Heritage Friday at 5:55pm.
