MA Junior High wins state
Marengo Academy won the AISA Junior High State Baseball Tournament over the weekend, polishing off a 4-0 day at the 12-team Macon-East Montgomery draw.
The junior Longhorns (14-0) won the title with a 9-8 victory over Monroe Academy in the championship round. Hayden Huckabee led the way with a 3-for-5 game in which he scored two runs and recorded one RBI. Weldon Aydelott went 3-for-5 with a run scored.
Landon Houlditch was 3-for-4 with a double and a run scored while Brad Collins went 3-for-4 with a run scored and a RBI. David Dunn was 2-for-4 in the game.
Huckabee picked up the win on the mound after working one scoreless inning while striking out one and giving up just one hit.
The Longhorns scored five runs in the bottom of the seventh to tie the game at eight and force extra innings. Andrew Martin ignited the eighth-inning rally with a two-out walk before advancing to second on a passed ball. After Monroe Academy intentionally walked Huckabee, Caleb Broadhead stroked a 1-1 pitch to center to drive in Martin with a walk-off single.
The Longhorns opened the tournament with an 8-2 win over Macon-East Montgomery. Aydelott went 2-for-3 in that contest with two RBIs. Martin was 2-for-3 with two runs scored and one RBI. Huckabee was 1-for-3 with a double, two runs scored and two RBIs.
Dunn toed the rubber for the win, working six innings with five strikeouts while surrendering just five hits and two runs.
Marengo moved on for a 10-5 win over Glenwood Academy, a contest that saw Lawson Smyly lead the way with a 2-for-4 outing at the plate that included four RBIs. Aydelott went 2-for-3 with three runs scored and one RBI.
Houlditch finished 2-for-3 with three RBIs while Daniel Pritchett was 2-for-2 with three runs scored. Martin went 2-for-2 with two runs scored in the game.
Brad Collins got the win on the mound, striking out five over four innings while giving up four hits.
The Longhorns punched their title game ticket with a 10-0 blanking of Monroe in the finals of the winners bracket.
Huckabee went 2-for-3 with a double, three runs scored and one RBI. Smyly finished 2-for-3 with a run scored and three RBIs. Dunn was 2-for-3 with a run scored and two RBIs. Collins went 2-for-3 with a run scored.
Huckabee got the win on the mound, working five shutout innings of one-hit baseball while striking out seven and walking one.
The win marked the first time in school history Marengo has won the Junior High baseball crown in addition to punctuating an academic year in which the JV group went undefeated in basketball, football and baseball.