Clarke Central High School varsity baseball shortstop Quin Mcmanmon, a sophomore, stands in front of the plate on Feb. 22, as the CCHS Gladiators took on the Banks County Leopards. CCHS varsity baseball coach Adam Osborne says that the team didn’t show up early in the game. “The first couple of innings we just didn’t show up to play,” Osborne said. “We were still waiting to try and let the game come to us instead of going and getting it.” Photo by Owen Donnelly
On Feb 22, the Clarke Central High School boys varsity baseball team lost to Banks County High School in the first game of Diamond Day with a score of 3-5.
The CCHS boys varsity baseball team lost to Banks County High School in a close game on Feb. 22 with the final score of 3-5.
Both teams had a relatively uneventful first inning at the plate. (Put CCHS’ performance at the plate and BCHS’ performance at the plate). CCHS first baseman Nick Mauldin, a senior, said that the cold weather affected him in the early innings of the game.
“At the beginning of the game, yeah, it (affected me). I couldn’t really feel my hands at first but then throughout the game it started warming up,” Mauldin said.
CCHS started off slow by going down four runs in the second inning, but a double in the fourth by shortstop Quin Mcmanmon, a sophomore, sparked a three-run inning by the Gladiators.
“(The team) was going crazy in the dugout,” Mcmanmon said.
Just an inning after CCHS’ rally, BCHS scored a single run expanding their lead to 3-5. After a relatively uneventful sixth inning for both teams, the bottom of the seventh inning arrived, and it was the Gladiator’s last chance at winning the game. Mcmanmon came up to bat first, but fell short and struck out.
“That last inning, if I hadn’t of struck out we might have come back,” Mcmanmon said.
With one out in the seventh, it looked like the game was coming to a close until Nick Mauldin hit a double.
“We were down two and getting that double with one out– we could have capitalized on that (more),” Mauldin said.
Clarke Central’s effort was not enough and lost to Banks County 3-5, however, CCHS varsity baseball coach Adam Osborne looks forward to better weather in the future. According to Osborne, the weather recently has affected their ability to practice over the past few weeks.
“We can only simulate so much in the cage, but everybody else in the state is in the same boat almost literally as we are, so that’s no excuse,” said Osborne. “We can simulate defensive reps in a lot of different ways and we can stay in shape by working in the weight room but the main thing is at the plate.”
