The Fannin County Rebels baseball team hosted the Holy Innocents Episcopal Golden Bears for a double header Friday, March 6.
Fannin jumped out early in the first game, but went cold in the later innings as they fell to the Golden Bears 4-2. The Golden Bears claimed the second game 8-3, despite Fannin out hitting them 6-5.
Gabe Buchanan started on the hill in the first game, pitching five innings and collecting nine strike-outs. Logan Hughes came on in relief pitching two innings, sitting down five Golden Bears.
Solid defense was played by both teams in the first game, despite the chilling weather as both teams were scoreless in the first inning. After the Rebels held the Golden Bears scoreless in the top of the second, Fannin got the bats going. Blake Rogers walked and Buchanan singled to put Rebel runners on first and second. Hughes then hit a ground ball and, with a Golden Bear error, made it on base. Blake Rogers and courtesy runner Jacob Priesing scored on the same error as the Rebels took a 2-0 lead.
The lead was short lived however as Holy Innocents scored two runs in the top of the third to tie the game 2-2. After holding the Golden Bears scoreless in the fourth, The Rebels were unable to cross home plate the remainder of the game.
Holy Innocents scored one run in the top of the fifth and one run in the top of the seventh to take the first game 2-0.
After a short break, the Rebels and Golden Bears started the second game of the evening. The Rebels jumped out to an early lead, but the Golden Bears’ offense heated up in the middle innings to take the game 8-3.
Carson Beavers started on the rubber for the Rebels, pitching one and a third innings, striking out three batters. Brady Martin, Chance Stacy, Jordan Bennett and Wyatt Rogers came on in relief, with the quartet combining to strike out seven batters.
Matthew Shirah got the Rebels started in the bottom of the first inning as he singled to get on base. Beavers singled and Jerritt Holloway walked. Hughes slugged a single to center field to bring Beavers in for a score after Shirah was caught stealing to give the Rebels a 1-0 lead. The Golden Bears were able to cross home plate twice in the top of the second inning before Beavers collected a strike-out, followed by Martin sitting down two Golden Bears. The Rebels could not cross home plate in the bottom of the second, as they trailed 2-1.
Holy Innocents was able to score one run in the top of the third to take a 3-1 lead. Fannin battled back in the bottom of the third as Holloway singled. Tyler Fox came in for Holloway as a courtesy runner and later scored by stealing home to slice the lead 3-2. Fannin Could not cross home plate again until the bottom of the seventh inning as the Golden Bears crossed home plate once in the fourth innings and four times in the fifth inning to lead 8-2.
The Rebels took the plate in the bottom of the seventh as Beavers, and Holloway singled to get on base. Blake Rogers walked to load the bases for the Rebels. Hughes walked to usher Beavers across home plate, which would be the lone Rebels score of the inning as Fannin fell to Holy Innocents 8-3.