A chance to send two seniors off with a final home win slipped away from the Atmore Christian School Rams Monday when they hosted Santa Rosa Christian Academy for Senior Day at Houston Avery Park in Atmore.

Seniors Jonathan Bender and Josh McDonald were recognized in pre-game festivities and then scored two runs each, but the Rams were unable to come away with a win falling 16-13 to the Eagles.

Bender went 3-for-4 in the contest, while McDonald was 1-for-4, as both players gave their team an offensive boost in the loss.

Having the chance to honor the team’s two seniors was a special moment for ACS Head Baseball Coach Anthony Swartzendruber.

“It was a great experience recognizing Jonathan and Josh,” Swartzendruber said. “They have both been with the program since we started it last year, and they have each been hard workers and dependable for our team. It was good to be able to honor them.”

The contest came down to the final inning, as the Rams led 13-12 moving to the top of the seventh. In the top of the inning, the Eagles finished off a rally that began back in the second inning by scoring four runs to grab the final lead change at 16-13.

Early in the game, it seemed as if the Rams would run away jumping out to a 9-1 lead in the bottom of the first inning.

Through the next three innings, the Eagles chipped away at the ACS lead scoring three runs in the second inning, four in the third inning and two in the fourth inning to put the score at 10-9.

The Rams jumped back out in front with three runs in the bottom of the fourth, as Bender, Perry Metzler (1-for-3, 2R) and Christopher Gehman (0-for-5, R) all crossed the plate to put ACS ahead 12-10.

In the fifth inning, the teams traded runs with the Eagles tying the game at 12, but ACS put one run on the board to give themselves a one run advantage.
The wheels fell off in the top of the seventh with the Eagles putting four runs on the scoreboard to pull ahead by the final of 16-13.

The loss was a product of miscues made when the Rams were in the field, Swartzendruber said.

“We made a ton of mistakes,” he said. “The errors we made defensively just made us give the game away.”
The Rams next game will be Friday in the conference tournament at Central Christian School in Robertsdale.

East Hill 4, ACS 1
Christopher Gehman was the lone runner to score for the Atmore Christian School Rams in their loss to the East Hill Christian School Eagles in Pensacola, Fla.

Gehman went 0-for-2 in the game, but was knocked in by Hochstetler’s single, as the Rams fell 4-1.