Jolly's homer propels Brookhaven over CPSouthern Sports & Travel, By Darron Thomas
Brookhaven senior Tripp Jolly pitched a three hit complete game and struck out nine in a 6-3 win over Central Private last night but it was Jolly’s 3 run homer in the bottom of the 7th inning that broke a 3-3 tie that gave the top ranked Cougars a 1-0 series lead.
Brookhaven started the game with a single to left from lead off hitter Brent Henderson and quickly jumped out to a 2-0 lead as sophomore Bubba Keene crushed a Steven O’Bryant pitch over the left field wall. O’Bryant then settled in and struck out three of the next four batters he faced.
Brookhaven started the game with a single to left from lead off hitter Brent Henderson and quickly jumped out to a 2-0 lead as sophomore Bubba Keene crushed a Steven O’Bryant pitch over the left field wall. O’Bryant then settled in and struck out three of the next four batters he faced.
(Above) Central Private's Steven O'Bryant (#6) had a solid game
Central Private opened their half of the 1st inning with a single up the middle by their lead off hitter Ryan Young. Steven O’Bryant’s infield grounder resulted in a Brookhaven error on a double play attempt allowing O’Bryant to reach 1st base and Young to advance to 3rd. After O’Bryant stole 2nd base sophomore Seth Stevens singled to center field scoring both Young and O’Bryant to tie the game at 2-2.
The score would remain deadlocked at 2-2 until the top of the 5th inning when mistakes would prove costly for Central Private. Brookhaven catcher Landon Nettles was hit by a pitch and was replaced on 1st base by courtesy runner Gage Posey. Posey then advanced to 2nd on a passed ball. Bubba Keene’s grounder to 1st was misplayed which allowed Posey to advance to 3rd and Keene to 2nd. Will Gatlin then hit a grounder to short stop Ryan Young but Young couldn’t turn the out allowing Posey to score from 3rd to give the Cougars a 3-2 advantage.
The score would remain deadlocked at 2-2 until the top of the 5th inning when mistakes would prove costly for Central Private. Brookhaven catcher Landon Nettles was hit by a pitch and was replaced on 1st base by courtesy runner Gage Posey. Posey then advanced to 2nd on a passed ball. Bubba Keene’s grounder to 1st was misplayed which allowed Posey to advance to 3rd and Keene to 2nd. Will Gatlin then hit a grounder to short stop Ryan Young but Young couldn’t turn the out allowing Posey to score from 3rd to give the Cougars a 3-2 advantage.
(Above) Brookhaven's Bubba Keene (#5) takes a lead at second
Central Private used some trickeration to tie the game in their half of the 5th inning and two outs. After Steven O’Bryant reached 1st base on a walk, stole 2nd and then advanced to 3rd on an errant throw, Kerry Burns drew a walk. Burns was replaced by courtesy runner Trevor Munn who deliberately got caught in a rundown between 1st and 2nd base. Before Brookhaven could execute the tag out on Munn, Steven O’Bryant scored from 3rd base to tie the game at 3-3 heading into the 6th inning.
In the top of the 7th inning Bubba Keene drilled a line drive two out double to the left field wall. Central Private then chose to intentionally walk Will Gatlin which brought up Tripp Jolly. Jolly sent a 2-1 pitch over the left field wall for
a 3 run homerun to give Brookhaven a 6-3 lead.
Jolly (Photo right) then capped off his performance by forcing Ryan Young into a groundout and then striking out both Steven O’Bryant and Seth Stevens in the bottom of the 7th inning to preserve a 6-3 road win.
“Tripp has surprised a lot of people this year,” said Brookhaven head coach Casey Edwards. “He has stepped up for us this season at the plate and had lots of big game hits during the season.”
Jolly pitched a complete game, allowed 3 hits and struck out 9. “Tripp’s pitch count was getting high but in the 5th inning he told me to let him have it and I did,” said Edwards.
While the Cougars only produced four hits on the night they reached the warning track a handful of times and the return of Bubba Keene’s power stroke was evident. The sophomore delivered a 1st inning homer along with a critical two out double in the 7th inning. He also came ever so close to a second homer that was corralled at the wall. “Bubba struggled at the plate the last few games to end the regular season and a couple games in the playoffs and seemed to have been pressing too much, tonight he played relaxed and came through for
us,” said Edwards.
Steven O’Bryant (Photo right) took the loss for the Rebels. The senior had a solid outing giving up just four hits while striking out 10.
The series now shifts to Brookhaven on Thursday where Edwards expects to start junior right-hander Hunter McCollough in game two. Game three will follow immediately if necessary.
Top ranked Brookhaven improves to 24-6 while 2nd ranked Central Private falls to 18-7.
In the top of the 7th inning Bubba Keene drilled a line drive two out double to the left field wall. Central Private then chose to intentionally walk Will Gatlin which brought up Tripp Jolly. Jolly sent a 2-1 pitch over the left field wall for
a 3 run homerun to give Brookhaven a 6-3 lead.Jolly (Photo right) then capped off his performance by forcing Ryan Young into a groundout and then striking out both Steven O’Bryant and Seth Stevens in the bottom of the 7th inning to preserve a 6-3 road win.
“Tripp has surprised a lot of people this year,” said Brookhaven head coach Casey Edwards. “He has stepped up for us this season at the plate and had lots of big game hits during the season.”
Jolly pitched a complete game, allowed 3 hits and struck out 9. “Tripp’s pitch count was getting high but in the 5th inning he told me to let him have it and I did,” said Edwards.
While the Cougars only produced four hits on the night they reached the warning track a handful of times and the return of Bubba Keene’s power stroke was evident. The sophomore delivered a 1st inning homer along with a critical two out double in the 7th inning. He also came ever so close to a second homer that was corralled at the wall. “Bubba struggled at the plate the last few games to end the regular season and a couple games in the playoffs and seemed to have been pressing too much, tonight he played relaxed and came through for
us,” said Edwards.Steven O’Bryant (Photo right) took the loss for the Rebels. The senior had a solid outing giving up just four hits while striking out 10.
The series now shifts to Brookhaven on Thursday where Edwards expects to start junior right-hander Hunter McCollough in game two. Game three will follow immediately if necessary.
Top ranked Brookhaven improves to 24-6 while 2nd ranked Central Private falls to 18-7.
(Photo at top of page) Brookhaven's Tripp Jolly (#51) picked up the game one win
