Rams Hold off Jaguars in final inning to win and split season series, 4-3.
The Greene Central Rams played their second game in two days in a rematch against the Farmville Jaguars. The Rams dropped the first game to the Jaguars, losing 7-3. They came out with a different energy in the rematch, and behind stellar pitching by junior Riley Radford, the Rams won 4-3.
“I thought we came out with a lot more intensity and energy tonight,” said Head Coach Ben Brann. “That’s something we did not have the previous night.”
The Rams delivered the first blow in the rematch against the Jaguars, putting up 3 runs in the top of the first inning. Freshman Logan Buress started the explosion in the inning, driving in senior Elijah Monroe with a sac fly. Another freshman, Sutton Harris, hit an RBI single to put the second run on the board. Senior Austin Brock would do the same, allowing the Rams to go up three runs going into the bottom of the first inning.
Riley Radford’s day on the mound would start by allowing one run in the bottom of the first inning. He would get out of a jam with runners on second and third to stop the bleeding. His brother, junior Will Radford, would give him more run support, hitting an RBI double to give the Rams a three-run lead again.
“I thought he threw the ball well; there were some innings where he struggled with his command on his fastball,” said Brann. “Other than that, he had it rolling and threw really well.”
After the run support from his brother, Riley Radford seemed dialed on the mound, shutting down the Farmville batters in the bottom of the second inning. The game would turn into a pitching duel between the two pitchers, Radford and Farmville senior Joe May. May and Radford would go back and forth mowing down batters. This would change in the bottom of the fourth, as the Jaguars' lineup would offer May some run support with two runs, lessening the Rams' lead to just one run.
Letting up two runs put Radford back into a zone while pitching, and the pitchers' duel continued throughout the rest of the game. Both pitchers continued from where they left off before the two runs. The duel would come to a head in the bottom of the final inning with the score still 4-3, with the Rams on top. Radford had a great battle with May at the plate that ended with May getting on base. Logan Buress would come in for relief, ending Radford’s day on the mound. He would hit the first batter but then get the remaining two out for a successful relief, winning the game for the Rams 4-3.
With the win, the Rams' overall record now stands at 11-7, with a conference record of 7-5. They hope to use the momentum from the huge win in a matchup against the Bear Grass Charter Bears. After the loss, the Jaguars’ record moves to 9-6, with a conference record of 6-4. They hope to gain some momentum from a win against the Reidsville Rams.
