By By Matthew Nascone
The Atmore 16-18-year-old all-stars knows what it feels like to work the graveyard shift after the Alabama 16-18-year-old State Tournament last weekend in Brewton.
The Atmore team did not start their final game in the tournament until after midnight on Sunday morning. All games on Saturday had been pushed back because of rain and the Atmore squad took on the Mobile all-stars and lost, 10-8.
Corey Flowers led Atmore at the plate, going 2-for-4 with one run scored. Elliot Faircloth scored two runs and walked three times. Darius English went 1-for-3 with a triple and two runs scored. Ben Hess and Joe Drew each went 1-for-3 with one run scored. Cody Norton scored one run and Eric Coley drew two walks.
Drew took the loss for Atmore, pitching three innings and allowing three runs on three hits. He struck out one and walked three. Tyler Brown started the game and allowed seven runs on seven hits while striking out two and walking none.
Brewton 10 Atmore 4
It took four innings, but Cody Norton hit a bloop single into right field in the fifth inning to break up a no hitter by the Brewton pitcher. Norton, Cody Vickrey and Tyler Brown each scored in the inning to cut into the 10-0 lead Brewton had built.
Darius English scored in the seventh inning, but it was too little, too late for Atmore, as they lost 10-4 Saturday.
Vickrey led the way for Atmore, going 2-for-3 at the plate with one run scored. Elliot Faircloth was 1-for-3. Norton was 1-for-3 and Joe Drew was also 1-for-3. Ethan Brooks went 1-for-2.
On the mound, Brown took the loss for Atmore, pitching two innings and allowing six runs on three hits. He struck out one batter. Norton relieved Brown and allowed four runs on seven hits and struck out four batters.
Atmore 7 Mobile 6
The Atmore all-stars trailed 6-5 entering the fifth inning of their Friday night matchup with Mobile, but Eric Coley turned the tides with one swing of his bat. Coley smashed a two-run home run over the left field fence to give Atmore a 7-6 lead.
Tyler Brown did not allow another run on the mound for Atmore and the team walked away victorious in game one of the state tournament in Brewton.
Coley was 2-for-3 on the evening with three RBIs and two runs scored. Ben Hess was 2-for-4 with two RBIs. Austin Eicher went 2-for-3 with two runs scored and one RBI. Corey Flowers was 1-for-4 at the plate with two runs scored and one stolen base. Cody Vickrey went 2-for-3 with one run scored.
From the hill, Brown notched the victory, allowing one run on three hits in 5.1 innings of relief. He struck out one and walked three. Cody Norton started the game and allowed five runs on two hits and striking out three batters.