EAST BREWTON — The Escambia County High School Blue Devils opened up their 2014 varsity season last week with an exciting comeback victory.

On Tuesday, Feb. 18, at the W.S. Neal High School Classic, the Blue Devils came from behind to defeat Monroe County 16-15. ECHS trailed 14-3 after three innings but battled all the way back, scoring four runs in the bottom of the seventh inning to earn the victory.

“We didn’t quit,” said ECHS coach Michael Parker, who is in his first season of leading the Blue Devils. “We just kept pecking away at the lead with a few runs each inning.”

The Blue Devils dropped their second game at the Classic on Friday night, falling to Flomaton 15-0 in six innings. ECHS trailed 1-0 after four innings of play, before the Hurricanes broke the game open with six runs in the fifth inning and eight runs in the sixth.

“We made a few errors and everything just started to snowball on us,” he said. “We played great for four innings, but then it seemed like we gave up at the end. We’ve still got to learn that you’ve got to play the whole game, every night.

“We did a good job of fighting Tuesday night, but [on Friday] we didn’t do that.”

ECHS also played T.R. Miller on Monday evening, falling by a score of 21-4.

ECHS 16, Monroe County 15

The Blue Devils scored four runs in the bottom of the seventh to win last Tuesday’s opening game of the season. D’Andrez McCarthy scored the game-winning run.

Gaetyn Thames was 2-for-5 with two hits and two RBIs. Malcolm Black finished with four runs, and Matthew Quimby and McCarthy scored three runs each.

Wesley Jefferson and Devon Robinson each scored two runs.
The Blue Devils were behind 14-3 after three innings before starting their comeback. ECHS scored one run in the fourth, and four runs in the fifth, sixth, and seventh innings. Monroe County added an additional run in the top of the seventh.

Black was the starting pitcher for the Blue Devils.

Flomaton 15, ECHS 0

The Blue Devils’ bats went cold Friday night, as ECHS earned just one hit off Flomaton pitching. Black hit a two-out single in the bottom of the first inning.

Flomaton took a 1-0 lead after one inning, but the Blue Devils had a great chance to tie the game in the second. Robinson led off with a walk, stole second and then advanced to third on a wild pitch, giving the Blue Devils a runner on third with nobody out. However, three of ECHS’s next four batters struck out, ending the threat.

Quimby started the game on the mound for ECHS, keeping the Hurricanes’ offense at bay. He pitched for four innings, allowing two hits and one unearned run. He struck out one batter and allowed one walk.

Flomaton’s Hayden Hammond was 2-for-3 with two doubles, three RBIs and two runs.