By By Tim Cottrell
There was no time for the pageantry of Mayfest surrounding the Atmore Cal Ripken Baseball League Saturday, with three games played during the afternoon.
The early morning game was a slugfest between the Chuck Stevens Automotive Cubs and the Ziebach &Webb Timber Company Eagles; with the Cubs coming out on top by a score of 10-4.
Things started off well enough for the Eagles, who took a 1-0 lead in the top of the first inning after Tadd Wall led off with a base-hit and was immediately driven in by Brett Helton. But that was followed by an avalanche of four Cub runs in the bottom half of the inning. LaCoya Harris, Coby Smith, Tanner Smith, and Deardras McArthy all crossed the plate during the inning.
Leading Cubs on the day were Harris, Coby Smith, and McArthy, all of whom batted 2-for-3 with two runs scored; and Tanner Smith, who batted 3-for-3 with an RBI and two runs scored.
Wall and Helton would bat 3-for-3 on the day for the Eagles in a losing effort.
Braves 10
Tigers 5
The Atmore Family Pharmacy Braves improved to 2-1 on the young season with a resounding victory over the Kirk Insurance Tigers, who fell to 0-3 with the loss.
Once again, the Tigers saw victory snatched from their claws, taking a 5-4 lead into the bottom of the sixth inning before allowing the Braves to score six runs.
Bo Ramer, David Johnson, and Brennon Stewart all batted 3-for-3 on the day for the Braves, with Johnson and Stewart scoring twice and Ramer once.
Scott Brantley and Tristan McAnally had big afternoons for the Tigers, accounting for all five runs.
Cardinals 8
Lions 5
The final game of Saturday produced the four-team logjam at the top with an Atmore Vision Center Cardinal victory over the Swift Supply Lions.
The win tied the Cardinals at the top with the Braves, Cubs, and Eagles, all of whom have 2-1 records on the young season.
The first inning was a wild one, with the Cardinals taking a 2-0 lead in the top-half of the inning after Casey Jackson drove in Brice McGhee and Wesley Jefferson.
The Lions would not go down without a fight, however, answering with three runs of their own in their half of the inning. Dakota Goins, Robin Swift, and Hunter Sherouse led off the inning, and all three would cross the plate.
The Cardinals did not find breathing room until scoring three runs in the fifth inning and another in the sixth.
McGhee and Jefferson led the Cardinals on the day, both batting 2-for-3. McGhee would score twice and Jefferson once.
Other leading Cardinals were Travis Smith and Xan McGhee, who also batted 2-for-3; and Austin Shuttlesworth, Jacob Pearson, and Tyler Brown; who all batted 1-for-2 with a run scored.
Dustin Lindsey and Rickey Reed would score a run apiece for the Lions.
Lions 7
Braves 0
The minor leagues returned to action Monday with the Swift Supply Lions and Atmore Family Pharmacy Braves beginning action on the day.
Dustin Lindsey, Ricky Reed, and Robin Swift all scored two runs on the day to provide six of the seven Lion runs. Reed also notched a double in the fifth inning. D.J. Carter scored the other run for the Lions.
Bo Ramer notched a double on the day for the Braves, and JaDarius Brown and David Johnson also contributed singles in the losing effort.
Tigers 3
Cardinals 2
Another low-scoring affair followed the Lions-Braves laugher, as the Kirk Insurance Tigers stormed back from an early 2-0 deficit to get past the Atmore Vision Center Cardinals.
Gage White and Scott Brantley led the Tigers on the day, each batting 1-for-2 and scoring a run. Tristan Brown provided the other Tiger run.
Travis Smith led off the game with a double and would later score, and Kyler McGlothren would reach base three batters later and proceed to score, but those would be the only runs the Cards would manage on the day.
Braves 10
Eagles 9
The Atmore Family Pharmacy Braves fixed their offensive woes in a big way Tuesday night at Heritage Park, rallying to defeat the Ziebach &Webb Timber Company Eagles 10-9 in extra innings.
The Eagles led 9-5 after three-and-a-half innings, but two runs in the fourth and fifth inning, followed by the game-winning run JaDarius Brown in the seventh provided the Braves with the big win.
The run scored was the second in the big day for Brown, who batted 2-for-4 on the day with a double. David Johnson also added two runs; and Andrew Yemmons, Bo Ramer, Damion Howard, Brennan Stewart, Dezmine Moorer, and Austin Hadley scored the other six Brave runs.
Brett Wilson and Justin Hiebert had nice performances for the Eagles in a losing effort. Emmons batted 2-for-4 on the day with two runs scored, and Hiebert batted 1-for-4 with a double and two runs scored. Tadd Wall, Melik McMillan, Perry Metzler, Cameron Murphy, and Cole Jordan scored the other five Eagle runs.
The match-up between the Chuck Stevens Automotive Cubs and Swift Supply Lions scheduled for 7:30 Tuesday was rained out.