Rebels win at Dallas County in 11 innings

Published 9:15 pm Thursday, March 15, 2012

By Robert Hudson | The Selma Times-Journal

In a game that went long even by Major League Baseball standards, the No. 4 Thorsby Rebels came out on top, edging the Dallas County Hornets 6-3 in 11 innings on Wednesday at Earl Griffin Baseball field in Plantersville.

With the game tied 3-3 in the top of the 11th, Thorsby’s Matt Morgan hit a single that scored a runner from third, loaded the bases and gave the Rebels (11-2, ranked No. 4 in Class 2A) a 4-3 lead.

Thorsby’s Jason Price got a hit that proved to be the difference in the game when he hit the ball in the infield, and the Hornets were able to get the runner out at home, but overthrew the first basemen in an attempt to get a double play that would have ended the inning.

The mistake scored two runners for the Rebels and made the score 6-3, where it would stand for the rest of the game.

The score stood at 1-1 in the bottom of the third, when Dallas County’s Justin Moreland tripled and scored teammate Kevin Simmons from second base to give the Hornets a 2-1 lead.

Dallas County’s Blanton Strickland brought Moreland home with a single to push the Hornets’ lead to 3-1.

The Rebels answered back when J.R. Posey hit a sac fly that scored a runner from third and made it a 3-2 game in the top of the fifth inning.

Morgan got a hit that went by the third baseman’s glove and along the left field line, which resulted in a double and scored a run that tied the game at 3-3 in the top of the fifth.

The Hornets twice got out of jams and extended the game.

The first came in the top of the sixth with bases loaded, when Hornets’ pitcher D.J. Stiles struck out two straight batters followed by Ricky Smith making a diving catch in right field to end the inning.

The Second time came in the top of the eighth inning with runners on first and second, when Strickland, pitching in relief for the Hornets, got consecutive batters to fly out including one that resulted in a diving catch by Troy Tolbert to end the inning for Dallas County (14-2).