Ethel baseball won four games last week, stretching its winning streak to nine since returning from spring break. The Tigers blanked Noxapater twice in Region 5-1A games 14-0 and 10-0 and defeated Pelahatchie 8-1 and St. Andrew's 9-7.
“We've had a really good two weeks,” said coach Chris Schuster. “The key is finding different ways to win. No matter what the situation, no matter who we are playing, we seem to find a way to win. Hopefully we’re peaking at the right time.”
Ethel had one bad inning. The Tigers took a 3-0 lead against St. Andrew's with a run in the first and two in the second. But the Saints scored seven runs in the third on only one hit combined with seven walks, a hit batter, and an error.
“We couldn't throw strikes,” Schuster said.
Colin White came in relief with the bases loaded and fanned Jack Hirchert to end the rally.
Ethel tied the game with two runs each in the third and fourth, then won it with two in the sixth. Wes Bishop started the rally with a double.
White allowed only one hit and struck out four over the final 4.1 innings.
Ethel outhit St. Andrew's 13-5. Bishop and Cyrus Rone each had three hits, Kameron McCuller and Kaden Adams two each.
Both Noxapater games went five innings. Bishop, Eli Ramage, and Rone combined on a one-hitter with 13 strikeouts in the 10-0 game. McCuller, White, and Gabe Cain combined on a one-hitter with nine K's in the 14-0 victory.
The Tigers had only four hits in the 10-0 game, but there were eight walks and three-hits batters. Noxapater committed three errors, resulting in eight unearned runs. Tyler Weaver doubled twice and scored two runs.
Ethel had 17 hits in the 14-0 game. McCuller had two singles and two doubles, scored three runs, and drove in three, Rone singled, doubled, and tripled with two RBIs. Cain had a single and a double and scored three times. Hayden Langford had two hits.
Adams pitched shutout ball for six innings, allowed two hits, and fanned nine against Pelahatchie. Rone continued his hot hitting with a double and homer, and Bishop singled and doubled.
Ethel played Sebastopol Tuesday and will be at Sebastopol Friday. Both teams are undefeated in 5-1A play.
Schuster has nominated Rone and McCuller for the 1A/2A North-South All-Star Game scheduled for May 31 at Williams Carey College in Hattiesburg. All-Star games are for the state's top seniors. Rosters will be announced this week.
