The CCA Patriots combined a Spring Break trip with a little baseball in St. Petersburg, Fla. The Patriots played four games against teams from Kentucky, New York, and Quebec, going 1-2-1 during the trip. In the process, they faced a couple of really good prospects; for example, one of the teams, Lexington (Kentucky) Catholic had two SEC commits on their roster.
The first game, played Thursday against Lexington (Kentucky) Christian, ended in an 11-3 CCA loss. The score was tied at zero until Lexington Christian erupted for eight runs in the bottom of the third. They added one in the fourth and two more in the sixth. The Patriots, meanwhile, scored one run each in the fourth, fifth, and sixth innings.
Clay Phillips had two hits and an RBI. Jonathan Rutland, one of four CCA pitchers, started and took the loss with a three-inning outing. He gave up eight runs (two earned) on six hits. He struck out four and walked four.
Also on Thursday, the Patriots face Lexington Catholic. Their luck against the Blue Grass State didn’t change although this was a much more competitive game. Lexington Catholic came away with a 3-1 win. Thomas Gentry started and put his team in a position to win. He gave up one unearned run on two hits, striking out 11 and walking four in a five-inning, 100-pitch outing.
Lexington Catholic scored one in the fourth and two in the seventh. The Patriots, meanwhile, scored their only run in the bottom of the seventh. CCA loaded the bases with nobody out on a walk and back-to-back hit by pitches. Skyler Woods hit a sacrifice fly to center that scored Landon Williams. However, they wouldn’t be able to get anyone else across. Blake Bryant, Jonah Hall, Jackson Knight, Gentry, and Woods each had hits.
Friday, the Patriots picked up their only win on the road trip with an 8-4 victory over DeMortagne (Quebec). The two teams were tied 4-4 going into the sixth inning when CCA plated four runs to pull ahead for good, 8-4.
Gray McLean and Bryant were both 3-4. Gentry was 2-4 with two runs scored. Hall also scored twice. Bryant and McLean had two doubles while Williams also doubled. Rutland collected one hit, an RBI triple.
Woods took the mound and went 4 2/3 innings for the win. McLean picked up the save with a 2 1/3 inning appearance.
The fourth and final game of the trip ended in an 11-11 tie against the St. Francis Red Raiders of New York. The Patriots led 1-0 after one. The Red Raiders scored four in the second to take a 4-1 lead. After four, CCA was up 9-6. Then the Patriot bats cooled off while the Red Raiders rallied. Going into the seventh, CCA was trailing 11-9. McLean singled then, with one out, Bryant tripled to score McLean. Woods flew out to left but Bryant tagged and scored to tie the game at 11. St. Francis couldn’t score in the bottom of the seventh and the game concluded in an 11-11 tie – the Patriots’ second tie of the season.
Bryant was 2-4 with three RBI and two runs scored. McLean was 2-5 with two runs scored. Gentry also scored twice. Hall and Phillips drove in two while Rutland walked three times. Sam Ables and Jett Hart each threw 3 1/3 innings. McLean finished the game with one-third of an inning of work.
The Patriots are now 9-5-2 on the season. They return to more familiar territory on Monday against Terrell Academy in Douglas. Tuesday, they travel to Belleville to face Pinewood they return home for a Thursday contest against Trinity Christian. Both home games start at 4:30.