Tuesday, Jul. 01, 2008

Warner Robins continues to score lots of runs

Western defeats Jones County to stay undefeated

It was an only-in-Little-League moment for Justin Jones.

One inning, he sat down in the dugout in the middle of a teammate's green Icee spill. The next inning, the second baseman hit a two-run homer over the 207-foot sign in center field to help propel Warner Robins American past Macon Little League 16-1 on Monday evening in the District 5 tournament at Vine-Ingle's George Jones Field.

"I guess sitting in the Icee was good luck," Jones, who went 1-for-3 with four RBI, said. "That's my secret. I might try it more often."

The win was the second of the tournament for Warner Robins, which has outscored its opponents 25-1 in its first two games. The Houston County team advances to play at 6 p.m. Wednesday against Western.

Jones' post-Icee blast came in the third inning when Warner Robins struck for eight runs to take an 11-1 lead, thanks in part to five Macon miscues. Macon made seven errors in the game, which, due to the 15-run rule, lasted just four innings.

"Seven errors just is not gonna cut it, not in this district," Macon head coach William Scruggs said. "When they got those eight runs, that really killed us."

Macon starter Charles Waller pretty much held the Warner Robins lineup in check the first time through the order, allowing three runs on five hits in the opening two frames.

In the late going, however, Warner Robins teed off on the Macon relievers, out-hitting the Anthony Road all-stars 14-4.

Warner Robins center fielder Hunt Smith kept up his hot hitting, going 4-for-4 with a pair of doubles.

"We just want to win and keep going," said Smith, who is 7-for-8 in the tournament.

Griffen Martin (3-for-4) hit a two-run homer in the fourth. Earlier that inning, Warner Robins slugger Payton Purvis belted a solo shot to right-center that landed on the roof of the Freedom Park restrooms. The home run was Purvis' third in two games.

Warner Robins shortstop Blake Jackson singled twice and, in the third inning when his team batted around, reached twice on errors by the Macon second baseman. Jackson also scored four runs.

For Macon, cleanup hitter Sha-Terria Jones drove in her team's lone run with a hit up the middle in the first. Rashad Burney slashed a double to right in the fourth but was stranded at second to end the game. Five Warner Robins pitchers combined to strike out eight of the 19 batters they faced.

Macon faces West Macon at 8 p.m. today in an elimination game.

Because of a paperwork complication, the Warner Robins-Macon game scheduled for 6 p.m. Monday didn't begin until after 7 p.m. That forced Monday's nightcap to start more than an hour late.

In the late game, Western Little League rallied for a 10-9 win over Jones County on Monday night in the District 5 all-star tournament for 11- and 12-year-olds. Western, which is 2-0 in the tourney, advances to play the other two-win team, Warner Robins American, Wednesday night at 6.

Jones County, meanwhile, plays Vine-Ingle tonight at 6 in an elimination game.

West Macon faces Macon, which fell 16-1 Monday, tonight at 8.

All games in the tournament are at Vine-Ingle Little League in Macon's Freedom Park, adjacent to Payne City, just off Brookdale and Vineville avenues.