The CCA Patriots ended their Spring Break road trip to Tampa with a 3-0 record against teams from Kentucky and Illinois. After defeating Lexington Catholic on Thursday, the Patriots defeated North Oldham (Kentucky) 5-4 in extra innings then, a few hours later, defeated Loyola Academy (Illinois) 5-4. All games were played at the Tampa Bay Rays Spring Training facility, marking four straight games CCA has played in big-league stadiums in the last week.
Against Oldham, the teams were tied 3-3 after five innings. CCA pulled ahead 4-3 in the seventh when Thomas Gentry drove in Jonah Hall with a single. North Oldham tied the game in the bottom of the inning on a two-out RBI double, forcing extra innings.
In the eighth, Gray McLean hit a two-out single to right that scored pinch runner Wren Moore to put CCA up 5-4. Clay Phillips, who threw two innings in relief, sat down North Oldham in order to end the game and get the win.
McLean led the way offensively with a 4-5 day, driving in two and scoring one. Gentry and Hall also had two hits. Two of McLean’s hits were doubles. McLean, Hall, and Blake Bryant each stole a base.
Gentry started and gave up three runs (two earned) on three hits in six innings. He struck out eight and walked three. In Phillips’s two innings, he surrendered an earned run on a hit while walking one and striking out one.
In the second game of the day, the Patriots found themselves behind 4-3 after five and a half innings. In the bottom of the fifth, McLean led off with a walk then went to second on a single by Gentry. After a strikeout, Sklyer Woods grounded out to second, scoring McLean who had stolen third. Gentry advanced to third on the ground out; he scored on a passed ball with Mason Spivey at the plate to give CCA a 5-4 lead that would hold for the final two innings.
Woods threw five innings, giving up four earned runs on eight hits while striking out eight and walking one. Sam Ables took the mound for the last two innings. He struck out one and walked one but didn’t give up a hit or run.
McLean had another big game at the plate. He was 1-2 with two walks and three runs scored. Bryant drove in two. In addition to closing out the game, Ables was also 1-1.
The Patriots are now 14-1 on the season and return to region play against Vidalia Heritage Monday at Patriot Field in Douglas. Game time is 6 p.m.
