By Wil Crews
sportscrews@opelikaobserver.com
The Glenwood Varsity Boys Baseball team is off to a 3-1 start.
Propelled by some stellar pitching and a plethora of extra base hits, the Gator’s only hiccup thus far was a 4-3 loss to back-to-back defending champion Pike Liberal Arts on Monday night.
“We threw a lot of strikes and pitching did very well,” said Glenwood Head Coach Tim Fanning. “And we actually made a lot of contact. That was very pleasing.”
Senior and Auburn University commit Trevor Horne was on the mound Monday and kept Glenwood in the game with his pitching – and at the plate. The Gator ace threw six scoreless innings, allowing only three hits and striking out 13 batters before Pike put up four runs in the final three innings secure the narrow win. Horne also went 1-for-3 with a homerun and two RBI. Kody Bence had a standout night at the plate as well, going 2-for-4 with a double and one RBI. Devin Denny was on the hook for the loss.
The Gators began their season at home last weekend with a two-game sweep over Social Circle High School of Georgia. The first game was won 10-1, with Horne (1-0) earning the win on the mound. Horne went four innings, allowing just one hit, with 10 strikeouts and zero runs allowed. To add to his impressive day, Horne went 2-for-3 with a double, a homerun and three RBI at the plate. Supporting Horne in the run production category were outfielder/LHP Garrison McClary, who went 2-for-3 with a double and two RBI, and Hunter Deason, who finished 1-for-2 with a double and one RBI.
In the second game against Social Circle, Glenwood improved on their performance, winning 15-0. This time, senior Avery Robinson (1-0) picked up the win. The 6-foot-4 right hander struck out seven batters in just three innings of work, giving up zero hits. McClary was once again tops on the scoresheet, driving in two runs. Trent Edwards went 2-for-2 with two doubles and two RBI.
“On both ends, hitting and pitching, we threw a lot of strikes and we didn’t swing at a lot of balls,” Fanning said. “This early in the year it’s such a work in progress. You got guys on limited pitch counts so you’re throwing a lot of different guys and getting a lot of guys experience. It was a good start.”
Glenwood advanced to 3-0 when they defeated Tuscaloosa Academy (0-3, at the time, according to MaxPreps) by a score of 9-3 on Saturday. All three runs were allowed in relief of Senior Colton Dempsey, who threw three innings, giving up zero hits and striking out five Tuscaloosa batters. Ty Smith was the stand out at the plate. The junior went 3-for-4 with one RBI. Senior Kody Bence batted in three runs, going 2-for-4 with a double at the plate. Trent Edwards went 1-for-3 with a double and a RBI as well.
“We hit almost .400 for the weekend so that’s pretty good,” Fanning said. “We had a bunch of doubles. To me, especially this early in the year, ball aren’t flying with this kind of weather. So, doubles, to me, are considered power, because you’re hitting the ball into gaps. But only time will tell on that.”
Glenwood was scheduled to play at home against Southern Prep on Tuesday evening but results were not available at press time.