Selma struggles against area rival Hillcrest in Tuesday doubleheader
Published 9:49 pm Tuesday, April 7, 2015
Kiwansis Jones throws a pitch for Selma during the first game of Tuesday’s doubleheader against Hillcrest at Bloch Park. Jones and the Saints lost both games of the doubleheader to their area rivals, causing Selma to fall to 0-6 in area play this season.–Daniel Evans
Outside of a home run by Kiwansis Jones, Selma was unable to generate any offense Tuesday in two area losses to Hillcrest at Bloch Park.
Selma was shutout 10-0 in the first game and only crossed the plate once in an 8-1 loss in game two. Saints’ head coach Burrell Bonner said his team’s offensive problems are nothing new.
He described them as an ongoing issue that has plagued the team all year long.
“They hit the ball real good, and we didn’t hit the ball,” Bonner said. “That’s kind of our weakness so far. We haven’t been hitting the ball and have been leaving runners on base.”
Bonner said the Saints struggled to get practices in last month during rain-filled March and that it’s set the team back offensively. The lack of practice time showed at the plate Tuesday.
Hillcrest jumped on Selma with five runs in the first two innings of Tuesday’s opener.
Corbin Horst doubled off the glove of Selma’s Fredricquez Richardson to score Hillcrest’s two runs in the opening inning.
A double by Hunter Kamplain brought in two additional runs and a single by Cole Frederick made it 5-0.
The score would stay that way until the top of the sixth, where Hillcrest tacked on five additional runs.
Jones started on the mound in game one and gave up seven runs before being replaced by Rondarious Sanders midway through the sixth.
“I feel kind of bad about the game because we needed to win to at least get us two wins in the area,” Burrell said. “Of course, it didn’t work out that way. We didn’t do bad fielding wise; we just didn’t get the hits. We did manage to get some runners in scoring position. We just didn’t get them across the plate.”
Hillcrest jumped on the Saints again in game two.
A single by Michael Garner scored Jacob Presley and then Garner and Chad Wyatt Jr. scored on passed balls.
In the second inning, Jones gave the Selma faithful something to cheer about with a home run that soared over the left field wall, making the score 3-1.
“He’s been struggling at the bat, so [it’s nice to see him] get that hit,” Bonner said of Jones. “That might give him a little momentum.”
Unfortunately for the Saints, the homerun didn’t spark a rally. Hillcrest scored five times in the third and fourth innings to put the game out of reach. Selma will finish the regular season Tuesday against Southside at Bloch Park.
