The Indianola Academy Colonels finally played a baseball game Tuesday evening.
Making the opportunity pay off, the defending AAA State Champions overcame some rust and bitter cold winds to come home with a 12-2 victory over Manchester Academy in Yazoo City.
Encouragingly, although playing a baseball game has been a constant struggle of late, there is the promise of plenty of upcoming action for the now 1-0 Colonels.
There is a consistent stream of baseball games awaiting the IA squad beginning today and throughout a large portion of the upcoming Spring Break period.
While a 4:30 p.m. home-field contest being scheduled today against Riverside High School of Avon is dependent on field conditions this game may evolve into a road trip for the Colonels.
However, the IA squad has an additional challenging lineup of baseball to play.
Scheduled to participate in the Battle of the River Spring Tournament to be held at Sports Force Park in Vicksburg, the Colonels will open their play this Saturday at 1:30 p.m. against public school member Franklin County High School of Meadville.
In their 2018 season, the 3A Bulldogs accumulated an 18-9 won-loss record while advancing to a second round playoff appearance.
This game will be followed on Monday by another 1:30 p.m. clash, on this occasion against the Tigers of Canton High School.
A 5A public school member, Canton High earned a first round playoff berth last spring.
By next Tuesday, the Colonels will then begin testing their mettle against a pair of 6A public school programs.
On Tuesday, the IA squad will take the field at 11:45 a.m. versus the Pirates of Pearl High School.
Additional action on Wednesday begins at 11:45 a.m. and the Colonels will conclude their play in this tournament by taking on the Terry High School Bulldogs.
Last season, Pearl High’s Pirates advanced to the second round of the 6A playoffs while Terry High was eliminated in the opening round.
In their recent five inning win over Manchester Academy, the Colonels used nine hits to help plate their dozen runs.
Meanwhile, on the mound Josh Hill and Reed Junkin combined to limit the Mavericks to four hits and no earned runs.
While Hill’s three innings of work yielded two hits, the senior struck out eight batters and issued only one base on balls.
Junkin would close out the game with his pair of innings on the mound. The righthander also gave up two hits while fanning four batters and issuing four free passes.
At the plate, center fielder Spencer Roberson led IA’s offensive attack as the junior hammered a double among his three hits and drove one run across the plate.
Also productive at the plate was Junkin with a single and an RBI producing double while Will Davis hammered a pair of singles.
Hill would aid his own cause with a fourth inning solo home run over the right center field wall while catcher Thomas Putnam picked up an RBI with his single to left field.
