Opp takes top spot in Butch Youmans Tournament

Opp High School hosted its annual Butch Youmans Spring Break Tournament this week with 10 teams participating, including county teams Andalusia, Florala, and Opp.

The Bobcats were declared the champions for winning two games and allowing only nine runs. Opp won a tie-break with W.S Neal High School based on the number of runs each team allowed. Opp allowed nine while the Eagles gave up 11.

The Andalusia Bulldogs split a pair of games, while the Florala Wildcats fell short in their two games.

Other teams participating in the tournament were Brantley, Eufaula, Excel, New Brockton, Slocomb, W.S. Neal, and Zion Chapel.

Opp 17, Eufaula 2
Eufaula struck first with a two-out rally in the top of the first. Carter Mitchell reached on an error before Nolan Hays and Benjamin Jackson walked and loaded the bases. Forrest Stephenson followed with a two-run single for a 2-0 lead. Dawson Peacock ended the threat and struck out Parker Symons.

Opp stormed back with nine runs in the bottom half. Riley Day took a leadoff walk and scored the first run on a wild pitch. Cash Harrell was hit by a pitch and tied the game when Peacock reached on an error. Porter Nelson brought home Baylor Turman with an RBI single for a one-run lead. Dawson Cox scored on a wild pitch as another defensive miscue sent Nelson to the plate. Landon Langley scored on a passed ball, while Harrell ripped a two-run triple and scored for a 9-2 lead after one inning.

Peacock retired the side in order on 13 pitches in the visiting second and hit an RBI single in the bottom of the frame. Nelson had a sacrifice fly, and Langley cashed in Peacock with an RBI single. Langley moved to second on a passed ball and scored on an error for a 13-2 lead after two innings.

Peacock struck out two Tigers and worked around a two-out base runner in the top of the third. Turman began the home half with a double, stole third, and scored on an RBI single by Brown. Talan Wicker also earned a hit and put runners at the corners with one out. Stephenson stopped the bleeding there, but the Bobcats built a commanding 14-2 lead after three innings.

Eufaula mounted a two-out rally in the fourth with a walk and a single. Peacock was not fazed and escaped unharmed with a strikeout.

Parker Burgess and Clay Jackson began the bottom half with back-to-back singles, while Matthew Morgan followed with a walk. Luke Sanders was hit by a pitch and sent Burgess to the plate. Tate Hall grounded out but scored Jackson, and Wicker called game for Opp with an RBI single that brought home Morgan.

Wicker finished 2-for-2 with an RBI, while Brown was 2-for-3 with an RBI and a run scored. Nelson and Turman were each 1-for-1 and combined for two RBIs and four runs scored. Peacock earned the win for the Bobcats and gave up two unearned runs on two hits with seven strikeouts in four innings.

Andalusia 9, Florala 5
Connor Ray had a one-out single in the top of the third and broke a scoreless tie when Asher Bentley reached on an error. Row Thorn also reached on a miscue and scored Mason Sheridan as Andalusia took a two-run lead. Dawson Reeves led off the bottom half with a single, but Riley Cravey held Florala in check and left the score 2-0 after three innings.

Kielan Davis scored the third run on a wild pitch with two outs in the fourth. Cravey helped himself with an RBI single that plated Will Dalton and gave the Bulldogs a 4-0 lead. Easton Walsh reached third on an error and scored the first run when Dalton Jackson delivered an RBI single. Ayden Brooks earned a two-out single and gave the Wildcats a chance to close the deficit, but Cravey ended the inning with a pop-up as the score stayed 4-1.

Thorn began the fifth with a single and moved to second on a sacrifice bunt from Landen Butler. Walsh then struck out Grover Wells and induced a fly out to keep Andalusia off the board. Florala saw the bats come to life in the bottom half with one out. Rayshon Coleman doubled and put runners at the corners. Walsh followed with a two-run double and sent Reeves and Coleman home. Noah Bryan singled with two outs as an error allowed Walsh to score the tying run and make the score 4-4 after five innings.

Jacob Laura took over on the mound in the sixth. The Bulldogs reclaimed the lead with five runs on three hits and three walks. Ray scored the go-ahead run on a wild pitch, while Thorn scored Neillex Ferrell with an RBI single. Butler extended the margin to four with a two-run single and plated Bentley and Thorn. Wells brought home courtesy runner Brayden Ware with an RBI double. Cravey retired the Wildcats in order on 11 pitches as the score stayed 9-4 after six innings.

After a quiet top of the seventh, Reeves led off the bottom of the frame with a double and moved to third on a groundout. Coleman lifted a sacrifice fly and closed the gap to 9-5, but a lineout ended the game.

Thorn was 2-for-4 with a run scored and an RBI, while Butler and Ray were each 1-for-3. Cravey notched the win and gave up five runs (two earned) on eight hits with four strikeouts in a complete-game effort.

Reeves went 2-for-3 with two runs scored as Walsh was 2-for-4 with two runs scored and two RBIs. Coleman was 1-for-2 with a run scored and an RBI, and Jackson, Bryan, and Brooks all finished 1-for-3. Walsh allowed four runs (two earned) on four hits with five strikeouts in five innings.

Opp 8, Andalusia 7
Riley Cravey and Asher Bentley reached on consecutive errors in the top of the first. Row Thorn knocked an RBI single and scored Cravey with the initial run. Kielan Davis gave Andalusia a 3-0 lead with a clutch two-run double that plated Bentley and Thorn.

Opp responded with six runs in the bottom half. Cash Harrell had a one-out single before walks to Grady Patterson and Baylor Turman loaded the bases. After Harrell scored on a wild pitch, Nolan Brown tied the score at 3-3 with a two-run double and scored courtesy runner Parker Burgess and Baylor Turman. Dawson Peacock grounded out but scored Brown. Landon Langley and Will Jackson kept the inning going with RBI hits for a 6-3 lead at the end of one.

The Bulldogs drew even with three runs in the top of the second. Mason Sheridan scored on an error, while Grover Wells lined a two-run double and made the score 6-6. Wells attempted to go to third but was tagged out as the rally ended. Turman lined a two-out RBI double in the bottom half and scored Harrell as the Bobcats retook a 7-6 lead at the end of two.

The score remained 7-6 until the home half of the fourth when Harrell was hit by a pitch and scored on a passed ball. Opp maintained its 8-6 lead as the two sides settled in and saw the game move to the seventh.

Wells led off the seventh with a single and scored on a wild pitch that brought Andalusia within one at 8-7. Patterson, who took over on the mound in the sixth, struck out Will Dalton and ended the game.

Harrell paced the Bobcats with a 3-for-3 showing and three runs scored. Jackson and Nelson were both 2-for-3, and Brown went 1-for-3 with two RBIs and a run scored. Nelson tossed 5 1/3 innings and allowed no earned runs on six hits with seven strikeouts for the win. Patterson gave up one earned run on one hit with three strikeouts in 1 2/3 innings for the save.

Cravey led the Bulldogs with a 2-for-3 showing and one run scored. Wells finished 2-for-4 with two RBIs and a run scored. Landen Butler and Davis were both 1-for-4. Charlie Walsh threw 2 1/3 innings and allowed two runs (one earned) on three hits. Tucker Ward pitched three scoreless innings with two strikeouts.

Florala 4, Zion Chapel 7
Rayshon Coleman reached on a fielder’s choice with two outs in the bottom of the second before back-to-back walks from Easton Walsh and Dalton Jackson. Noah Bryan scored Coleman for a 1-0 lead at the end of two innings.

Zion Chapel grabbed a 3-1 lead in the third inning when Joseph LeGear and Brodie Stinson took walks. John Foster Hamm tied the score at 1-1 with an RBI single. Stinson stole third and scored on a groundout before Dylan Davis knocked an RBI single and brought Hamm to the plate. Bryan fought back and ended the rally with strikeouts of Brady Flowers and Tyler Bass. Florala mounted a two-out rally when Dawson Reeves and Greyson West, but Davis escaped unscathed.

The Rebels took advantage of two free passes and upped their lead to 5-1 in the fourth. The Wildcats loaded the bases in their half, but Davis worked out of the jam once again.

Davis reached second on an error in the top of the fifth as courtesy runner Grady Meeks scored on a passed ball for a 6-1 margin. Jacob Laura stole home in the bottom half and cut the deficit to 6-2.

LeGear began the sixth with a single and crossed home on a passed ball that gave Zion Chapel a 7-2 lead until the bottom of the seventh. Florala received singles by Walsh and Bryan and a walk from Jackson but only managed two runs for the final tally.

Walsh and Bryan were each 2-for-3 to lead the Wildcats at the plate. Bryan gave up five runs (three earned) on three hits with six strikeouts in 3 2/3 innings. Jackson allowed two unearned runs on two hits with six strikeouts in the final 3 1/3 innings.

All three teams return to action next week. Opp (15-3) will host Slocomb on Monday, March 31, at 5 p.m. Andalusia (8-7-1) will travel to Wetumpka on Tuesday, April 1, at 6 p.m. Florala (10-6) will visit Pleasant Home on Tuesday, April 1, at 4:30 p.m.