There is a long list of all-important District 1AAA baseball competition appearing on the horizon for the Indianola Academy Colonels.
However, prior to that occurring there are three non-district contests to be played this week.
This trio of games begin at 6 p.m. today when the 6-2-1, 3-0 Colonels play host to a strong Washington School Generals squad.
Hoping a victory today will avenge Tuesday evening’s 5-1 road loss to the Generals from Greenville, the Colonels will then play a double header this Saturday on the IA field.
Taking the field at 1:30 p.m. against Winston Academy of Louisville, the Colonels will return at 6 p.m. to take on the Mustangs of Pillow Academy in Greenwood.
However, next Monday begins a gauntlet of nine consecutive district contests to be played over the course of the next three weeks.
Traveling to North Delta School in Batesville, a 6 p.m. first pitch will open this initial best-of-three series facing the IA squad.
In IA’s recent loss to Washington School, a Josh Hill one-hitter was squandered as walks and errors helped plate four of the Generals’ runs scored in this game.
Hill suffered the loss on the mound as the only earned run plated by the Generals occurred in the first inning of the game.
This run, which proved to be the Generals’ only base hit, was driven in by fellow Mississippi State University baseball commit Austin Kelly.
Meanwhile, the Colonels found the going tough against the Generals’ pitcher, an East Mississippi Community College signee.
The lefthander’s six innings of work limited IA to only Thomas Putnam’s second inning single.
In the final frame, however, the Colonels touched Washington School’s relief pitcher for a pair of hits.
This uprising helped avoid a shutout and was made possible when a Spencer Roberson double was followed two batters later by a Reed Junkin RBI single.
These three hits were all IA could muster in this game which only required one hour and 38 minutes to complete.
On the mound, Hill’s six innings of work also resulted in striking out nine batters while issuing five free passes.
In their other play this past week, last Thursday the Colonels dealt visiting Lee Academy of Clarksdale a 10-0 loss.
Scoring a least one run in every inning of the game, the Colonels used the win to sweep the District 1AAA series from the Colts.
Utilizing eight hits to help plate their runs, IA’s efforts were led by Wesley Lester’s triple and single while Josh Hill added a pair of singles.
Putnam would drill a double to right-center to help round out the hitting leaders in this game.
On the mound, Will Davis earned the win as his three innings of work surrendered two hits while striking out four batters and walking two more.
James Hill closed out the game as his two innings yielded one hit while fanning three hitters and issuing one base on balls.
