BASEBALL HOUNDS
Similar to the lyrics of the song by 1990s country music band Little Texas, it’s hard not to think about what might have been.
A three-game sweep at the hands of Union Grove to begin region play dropped the Greyhounds to an 0-10 start to begin the season last week before a 10-0 win against Eagles Landing Monday get JCHS into the win column. But perhaps most excruciating is the fact that Jones County could have easily won two of those contests. The Greyhounds began this week looking to bounce back against Eagles Landing with a road game on Monday, at home Wednesday and on the road again Friday.
Jones County dropped the first game to Union Grove last Monday 5-0 before falling short 7-5 on Wednesday and 8-7 on Thursday.
“Especially Thursday, we had a definite advantage going into the seventh inning and let that slip away. We had plays that didn’t go our way, and any time you give a team of that caliber extra outs and opportunities, they’re going to capitalize,” Greyhounds head coach Mike Paulk said. “Union Grove is seniorheavy. They did what teams like that are supposed to do and capitalized on our mistakes.”
There’s solace for the Greyhounds in this – that after a 5-0 loss the first time out against Union Grove, Jones County got its bats going, putting a combined 12 runs on the board in the next two games.
“Putting runs on the board, thar’s not a bad thing. I don’t know a coach that does not want to win, and nobody wants to win more than I do,” Paulk said. “Wednesday was a massive boost in knowing we can stand in there against the pitching we’re seeing. It was a great boost to produce those runs, and going into Thursday, I think it carried over a bit.”
In Wednesday’s home loss to Union Grove, starting pitcher Dawson Harris spotted the Wolverines a pair of early runs while also bearing down to pitch out of early trouble, and that paid off for the Greyhounds in the third inning when a two-run single by Colin Evans tied it 2-2, and he later scored on a hit by Davis Upshaw for a 3-2 lead. Union Grove pulled in front 5-3 in the fourth on a soft single with the bases loaded followed by an infield hit, putting JCHS down. The Greyhounds nearly answered in the bottom half of the frame on an extra-base hit by Marlin Mills, but the throw home caught the Greyhounds in a rundown, ending the chance to get on the board.
Griffin Maki and Zach Jones came along in relief in the late innings to keep it close for the Greyhounds.
“They kept us in position to win,” Paulk said. “That’s what we need from those guys.”
Jones County would put two runs on the board in the seventh and get the winning run at the plate before the Wolverines ended the late threat to get the win.
“We had opportunities in the end and had some situations where, if get a hit here or there, the score is closer. It’s tough, because you see improvement, especially on Wednesday with our bats since the beginning of the season. On Thursday, we hit their guy well. It’s just about putting the pieces together – pitching, hitting and being able to finish the job,” Paulk said. “We’re disappointed in the outcome, but hopefully, that experience will remind our guys that the game is never over at any point.”
