FCA FINALE: Prattville holds off Catholic to pick up victory
Catholic’s Jordan Jackson dives ahead of Prattville’s Aiden Markwell’s tag at first during the FCA matchup between the Knights and Lions at Riverwalk Stadium. (Tim Gayle)
By TIM GAYLE
The expectations were a little different for Prattville and Catholic in the final game of the FCA Jason Armstrong Memorial Baseball Tournament on Saturday night, but both sides came away happy after the Lions’ 7-5 win over the Knights.
For Prattville, a Class 7A team with a deeper roster and some experience returning, the fought off a scrappy Catholic squad with solid pitching, finishing the week with three wins in four games.
“We saw some guys pitching,” first-year coach J.R. Myers said. “We had a couple of weeks where we didn’t play a lot, so we really needed this week. We wanted to see some guys throw. Aidan Urnis, Mason Piper, Dorsett Jackson, those guys stood out. Zach Ervie pitched well (against St. James on Monday) so we had some guys step up. It was a very productive week.”
For Catholic, a team that returns only Caleb McCreary and Brodie Hudson with any varsity experience, a new group of Knights is learning what is expected from first-year coach Chandler Avant.
“We’re coming along very good,” Avant said. “We’re in a good place going into area play next week. I feel really good about our guys. That’s a 7A team and we didn’t back down. We played them just like we play anybody -- hard, with passion. That’s all I can ask for the guys.”
Prattville (7-4) jumped on freshman pitcher Jordan Jackson for four runs in the first inning with the help of four hits and three errors, but the Knights settled down over the remaining six innings, with Jackson allowing just three hits the rest of the way.
“The guy on the mound, Jordan, filled the zone up and did his job,” Avant said. “He just kept doing his job, throwing strikes, making them have to hit the ball. He didn’t give up many free bags, which was huge for us, and we played pretty clean in the infield and outfield.”
Prattville sophomore Brody Crovato, making his first varsity start, allowed three runs on four hits over four innings. McCreary scored the game’s first run in the first inning, drawing a walk, stealing second and third and scoring on Hudson’s single. The Knights trimmed the deficit to 4-3 in the fourth when AJ White scored on an error and Ellis Thoms’ RBI single drove in another run, but the Lions extended the lead to 7-4 in the sixth on a deep fly ball to right center field that scored both Holt Stovall and Jack Studdard.
White doubled in McCreary in the seventh before Sal Barranco grounded out to end the game.
“The mental part, for me, is handled in practice,” Avant said. “Practice is pretty high paced for us, so when we get in the game, the game slows down for us. When the game comes, have fun and it’s slower than practice for us. Whether they’re 7A or 1A, we expect to win and we expect to compete.”
Prattville (6-4) returns to Montgomery on Monday to play JAG in a 7A Area 3 game at Paterson Field at 4 p.m. Catholic (2-9) returns home to play host to Bullock County in a 4A Area 4 doubleheader on Monday before playing another area series later in the week against Booker T. Washington.
“We’ve got a shot to play solid in area play,” Avant said. “Get in the playoffs and anything can happen. That’s our goal right now. And if we play like this the rest of the way, I feel good about how we’ll come out in the end.”