Pirates Crush Cougars' Dream and Dominate Monroe High
by Glenda Bailey, Sports Writer

Miller's pitching proved to be enough with good hitting.

In one of the most surprising games every played, Calhoun County Cougars gave our Pirates a run for a victory. Calhoun was quick to jump on the scoreboard in the top of first inning, and in the third inning, the Cougars added three more runs. Miller County's Nick Rawlings scored off of Russell Hart's single to put the Pirates on the board, 4-1.

In the fourth inning, Calhoun answered back with two more runs and held our Pirates to the lone run. In the fifth inning, Calhoun added another run, but it was in the bottom of the fifth, Miller County scored four runs. Alex West got it going with a single; Josh Posey stepped up to the plate and looked as four balls went by. Nick Rawlings bunted. With bases loaded, Russell Hart came to the plate. Hart hit a hard drive up the middle to score West and Posey. Dane Philyaw got on base by a fielder choice and drove in Rawlings. Alan Love's single drove in Philyaw before the fifth came to an end, and the score stood 7-5.

In the sixth inning, Calhoun scored two more runs with J.J. Robinson, D. Henderson and the Cougars held the Pirates in the bottom of the sixth.

This last inning was an exciting inning. Our boys held the Cougars with nine runs, but the Pirates had only five runs going into bottom of the seventh inning. No one knows what was said before the Pirates took hold of those bats, but whatever was said; our boys need to remember it. Dane Philyaw got this inning started with a walk. Calhoun struck out one Pirate and threw out another before what happened next. Those Pirate bats came to life, and our boys begin to hit. The game was tied 9-9, and Russell Hart hit the winning run in to go ahead of the Cougars and win the game, 10-9.

On Thursday, April 12, our Pirates traveled to Albany to face Monroe High. Our boys must have remembered what was said from the coaches on Tuesday because the Pirates never let up. Russell Hart scored two runs; Dane Philyaw scored three runs; Alan Love scored one run, and Chris Bailey scored two runs. Alex West added one run, and Chase Rawlings tacked on another. Josh Posey contributed one run while Jake Hayman and Nick Rawlings scored two runs. The Pirates had 11 hits, and Alex West was the winning pitcher for the Pirates. Monroe High scored three runs.

This puts the Pirates' overall record at 7-6. Congratulations go out to our coaches and baseball players for all their hard work.