Centreville and Adams split critical doubleheader

Southern Sports & Travel, By Darron Thomas

In what has become a red hot battle for a playoff spot in District 5AA Adams Christian traveled to Centreville yesterday for a crucial double header that both teams deemed vital as the last week of district games approach. After the dust had cleared on a gusty day the teams split two games but for Centreville winning 2 of 3 from Adams this week positioned the Tigers to control their own destiny as they prepare for a huge three game series with Silliman next week.
Game one….
Centreville freshman Randy Bell improved to 4-2 after going five innings and giving up two runs on 8 hits in a 12-2 win over Adams Christian.
The Tigers took an early 1-0 lead in the first inning as a Brad Jelks RBI grounder to second scored Hunter Travis. Centreville upped their lead to 2-0 in the second inning when Justin Bellue’s in-field grounder drove in Corey Gaulden.
ACCS got things going in the top of the 3rd inning as Tanner Martin led off with an in-field hit. Martin then advanced to second on a Bryce Murray sacrifice bunt and Chris Perry’s single to left brought Martin home to trim the deficit to 2-1. Unfortunately for the Rebels the bottom half of the inning proved disastrous as Centreville sent ten batters to the plate and quickly upped their lead to 8-1. Justin Bellue did most of the damage in the inning as the senior belted a bases loaded double to left field to score three runners.
Centreville increased their lead to 10-1 in the bottom of the 5th when Tyler Towles hit a left field single with the bases loaded that scored Randy Bell and Cale McKey. With the bases loaded ACCS escaped what could have been an early end when Corey Gaulden’s fly out to short center ended the inning.
The Rebel’s picked up a run in the sixth inning when a Brandon Sanders double to left field scored Johnny Smith. Centreville finished ACCS off in the bottom of the 6th as the Tigers added two more runs to take a 12-2 win.
Centreville was led at the plate by Justin Bellue who picked up 4 RBI’s on 3 of 5 hitting including two doubles.

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Game two….
Adams Christian avoided a series sweep with an important 6-3 win in the nightcap of a doubleheader with Centreville. Jake Brumfield went the distance for the Rebels striking out 8 and allowing 10 hits to improve to 3-4 on the season.
The Rebels got out on top early as Chris Perry and Jake Brumfield hit back to back one out doubles in the first inning. Brumfield’s double scored Perry to give ACCS a 1-0 lead. ACCS added two more runs in the 2nd inning when Perry hit a hard line drive single to left field with the bases loaded scoring Landon Givens and Tanner Martin.
Centreville answered with two runs in the bottom of the 3rd on a bases loaded single by Tyler Towles that scored Gage Chandler and Hunter Travis to cut the ACCS lead to 3-2. Centreville knotted the game at 3-3 with a two out rally in the bottom half of the 5th inning as Tyler Towles and Cliff Hurst both nailed singles to left field. Corey Gaulden’s hard come-backer to pitcher Jake Brumfield resulted in a throwing error to first base allowing Tyler Towles to score to tie the game at 3-3.
Roles reversed in the top of the 6th inning as a Centreville fielding error put Adams Christian back on top at 4-3. Tanner Martin led the inning off with a single to right field and then advanced to second on a fielder’s choice. With two out Jake Brumfield’s hard grounder to 3rd base was scooped up by Cliff Hurst but the throw was dropped at first allowing Martin to score.
Centreville mounted another two out rally in the bottom of the 6th inning. The Tigers loaded the bases on consecutive two out singles by Hunter Travis and Randy Bell followed by a Brad Jelks walk but a Tyler Towles check swing grounder back to pitcher Jake Brumfield ended the inning.
ACCS added two insurance runs in the top of the 7th inning when Collin Dollar scored on a Landon Givens single to right field and Bryce Murray’s bases loaded single scored pinch runner Cody Reinhart to give the Rebel’s a 6-3 cushion.
Centreville started the top of the 7th with a lead off single from Cliff Hurst. Jake Brumfield then sat down Corey Gaulden and Cale McKey on strikeouts but hit Justin Bellue with a pitch to allow Gage Chandler to come to the plate and represent the tying run. Chandler responded with a single but Brandon Sanders made a prefect throw from left field to throw out Cliff Hurst at the plate to end the game at 6-3.
Chris Perry led Adams Christian at the plate going 2-4 and collecting 2 RBI’s.
Centreville winds up at 14-6 overall but more importantly 6-3 in district play with a three game series with Silliman (5-4) remaining.
Adams Christian sits at 10-10 and 5-4 with a three game series with Central Private scheduled for next week.
“We took it to them in the first game,” said Centreville head coach Jason Horne. “Our bats let us down in the second game, we couldn’t get the timely hits we needed and we had some errors. We’re very young with only three seniors but our young guys are learning. Our playoffs start on Monday, we control our own destiny. If we win 2 of 3 from Silliman were in,” said Horne.
For Adams Christian the task may be more challenging but the Rebels are still in the race.
“We’re still in the hunt,” said ACCS head coach Hunter McKeivier. “We have a big series with Central Private next week but we’ve played some pretty good teams the past few weeks that have prepared us better. Centreville is one of those teams and I’ll say it right now, Centreville can hit with anybody. Tonight’s win was a great team effort and great pitching from Jake Brumfield coming off three days rest.”

Centreville will host Silliman on Monday before wrapping up district play with a doubleheader at Silliman on Friday.
Adams Christian travels to Central Private on Tuesday and will finish their three game series with the Rebels with a doubleheader in Natchez on Friday.