Published: Thursday, March 11, 2010

By Tony Sisk
Madison Magazine

The Madison Academy boys picked up two wins and a loss over the past weekend with a 10-0 decision over the Haleyville Lions, a 5-3 decision over the Hewitt-Trussville Huskies and a devastating 6-3 loss to the Hoover Buccaneers. Clayton Palicki got the win over the Huskies and Drew Mobley took the loss against Hoover. Stats were unavailable for the Haleyville game.

MA 5, Hewitt-Trussville 3
Things did not look so promising for the Mustangs in the first inning of the game over Hewitt-Trussville, as Madison Academy committed three infield errors and the Huskies were able to capitalize by scoring three runs. Matt Walk and Austin Justice each reached on error from the middle of the diamond. Walk and Justice perfected a double-steal to set up runners at second and third base.

A wild pitch by Palicki allowed Walk to cross home plate for the early lead. After Palicki was able to get Cory Cox out on strikes, he left a pitch up in the strike zone for the clean up hitter, Blake Bearden. Bearden elevated the pitch and launched a shot deep over the center field fence for a 2-run home run. Palicki pitched four complete innings allowing three runs (two unearned) on three hits and two walks, while striking out five batters.

"We appeared to have relaxed mentally after the game with Haleyville and made a couple of errors to start the game," Madison Academy Head coach Mike Good said. "I, however, have to give credit to the guys for coming back to tie the game, and eventually getting the win."

Madison Academy was able to recover in the bottom half of the first inning with three runs of their own. Jared Brinson led off the inning with a double and scored on a bunt single by Ben Seabrook, who atoned for an error in the top-half of the inning. After a fly out by Stafford Booth to deep center field, Palicki cleaned up the garbage with a home run of his own to tie the game.

The Mustangs were able to scrape across a run in each the second and third innings for the final margin. Will Littlejohn walked in the first and was scored later on a sacrifice-fly by Seabrook and Palicki got a single to lead off the third and Ian Rice got another single two batters later. Palicki then scored on a fielder’s-choice play on a hit by Spencer Palmer.

Palicki led on the offense going 2-for-3 with home-run and two RBIs, Hunter Olive followed going 2-for-3 with two singles, Seabrook and Palmer each went 1-for-3 with an RBI, Rice added a single and a walk in three at bats, Brinson went 1-for-4 with a double and Littlejohn reached on a walk.

Michael Moorefield pitched two innings in relief and only allowed two hits, while striking out one.

Hoover 6, MA 3
The Mustangs led off the game with Hoover scoring the first two runs, but again ran into trouble as errors proved costly in the 3-run loss to the Buccaneers. Rice walked in the first inning and was sent home on a triple by Palmer and in the third inning Seabrook hit a sacrifice-fly to score Brinson.

Hoover was able to tie the game with two runs in the top of the fourth inning and later took the lead with a run in the fifth and two runs in the sixth. Madison Academy was able to scrape across a run in the sixth inning to close the score to within two runs as Palicki led off with a double. Palmer later got a single to score Palicki for the final run of the game for the Mustangs.