By By Marty Stamper / EMG sports assistant
May 9, 2003
HEIDELBERG The Heidelberg Academy Rebels belted five home runs Thursday afternoon in defeating Winona Christian 14-3 in five innings at Mitch Gavin Memorial Field.
For the year, the Rebels have hit 62 homers, including 60 in their last 23 games.
Heidelberg improved to 26-1 with the victory and extended its school-record win streak to 25 games.
Matthew Andrews hit a pair of two-run homers, Brent Welch had a three-run blast, and Mason Key and Blake Bass each had a two-run shot as the Rebels advanced to the Academy Class A state finals next week against the Porters Chapel-Franklin, La. winner.
That series would begin Tuesday at Vicksburg or Winnsboro, La. Porters Chapel won the series opener 10-1 with Game Two set for 4:30 p.m. today at Vicksburg.
In Tuesday's 18-1 Heidelberg blowout at Winona, Bass hit a pair of homers, while Andrews and Brooks Lewis had one apiece.
The Rebels led 4-0 after one inning Thursday. Welch led off with an infield hit and Andrews promptly went deep over the fence in left-center.
A walk to Ryan Aultman preceded a one-out, two-run dinger to left-center by Key.
The Stars, who finished 18-9-1, got two unearned runs in the top of the third as Heidelberg committed three errors. Joey Johnson had a sacrifice fly.
The Rebels got five runs in the bottom of the third as Bass hit a two-run homer to left field and Welch jacked a three-run shot to left-center.
Already up 9-2, the Rebels struck for three runs in the bottom of the fourth. One scored on one of Winona's three errors in the frame with two more crossing the plate on a single to right field by Derek Griffin.
Losing pitcher Greg Dees doubled to lead off the top of the fifth and scored on an error on Johnson's steal of second base. Andrews threw from center field to third in plenty of time to nail Johnson for the second out.
Welch reached on an error to start the bottom of the fifth and Andrews' two-run clout to right field ended the contest.
Andrews had two homers and four RBIs, while Welch went 2-for-4 with three RBIs. Griffin, Lewis and Joe McLeod were each 2-for-3. Welch and Key both scored three runs.
Paul Zeagler (3-1) got the win, allowing six hits. He struck out five and walked one. All three Winona runs were unearned.
Dees went 2-for-3 and scored two runs for the Stars. Seth Wiltshire was 2-for-2 with a double.
In getting the loss, Dees left after 1 1/3 innings, trailing 6-2. Johnson tossed the next 1 2/3 frames, exiting the mound with a 12-3 deficit.