Pitchers keep it close in loss to Ola

BASEBALL HOUNDS

  • Brody Gordon’s pitching gave the Greyhounds a chance to win on Monday, holding Ola scoreless for four consecutive innings. BRAD HARRISON/Staff
    Brody Gordon’s pitching gave the Greyhounds a chance to win on Monday, holding Ola scoreless for four consecutive innings. BRAD HARRISON/Staff
  • Bo Mansfield rocks back to pitch toward the plate in the seventh inning on Monday. BRAD HARRISON/Staff
    Bo Mansfield rocks back to pitch toward the plate in the seventh inning on Monday. BRAD HARRISON/Staff
  • Marlin Mills stares down the Mustangs pitcher during an at-bat on Monday. BRAD HARRISON/Staff
    Marlin Mills stares down the Mustangs pitcher during an at-bat on Monday. BRAD HARRISON/Staff
  • Cason Taylor applies the tag to get the out at third base against the Mustangs. BRAD HARRISON/Staff
    Cason Taylor applies the tag to get the out at third base against the Mustangs. BRAD HARRISON/Staff

    The level of competition picked up for the Greyhounds in region play on Monday against Ola, starting a three-game series against a Mustangs team that's a postseason regular and whose only region losses this season are to Locust Grove.

    “It's a team that was up on Locust Grove both games they played them,” head coach Mike Paulk said. “For us to be in a tight game with them... we had opportunities and (their pitcher) threw the pitches and got out of it.'

    The pitching of Brody Gordon kept Jones County in it on a chilly afternoon at Cecil Patterson Field, down 2-0 through five innings before the Mustangs pushed two more across in the sixth inning to win 4-0.

    Jones County, which played Ola on the road Wednesday, closes out the three-game series at home on Friday.

    The Greyhounds gave themselves a leg up thanks to the pitching of Gordon, who pitched six innings on Monday. That, combined with Bo Mansfield pitching the final inning and working out of a bases-loaded jam helped Jones County minimize the use of its pitching staff prior to the week's other two contests against Ola.

    “We always want our guys to give us quality starts, and Brody did that. He kept his composure and kept us in the game and gave us a chance to win,” Paulk said. “I couldn't have asked for anything more from him. Bo came in and got us to where we weren't out of it going to the seventh.

    The Greyhounds trailed 2-0 after the first inning, but gave themselves chances to draw even, putting two runners on in the second and fourth innings, stranding the baserunners each time. The second-inning chance came after a Tucker Maddox double and Marlin Mills walk, while in the fourth, Griffin Maki was hit by a pitch, and Maddox reached on an infield hit.

    Extra baserunners ended up helping Ola pull away. An early walk followed by a double made it a 3-0 Ola lead. A walk on a 3-2 pitch followed by a fielding error put the Mustangs ahead 4-0.

    “We had our opportunities, their pitcher wasn’t overpowering, he had three pitches and threw them all for strikes. He teased us with a fastball and kept coming with the slider,” Paulk said.

    “We’re still young enough that we’re not making the adjustments, and that’ll come with experience and time.

    “It’s a matter of continuing to do the things we’re doing and knowing that it’ll produce results. We’ve just got to stay the course.”