By By Chandler Myers
ECHS narrowly dropped Game 2 of a doubleheader against the Flomaton Hurricanes on Thursday losing 5-4.
The Blue Devils (2-2) fell to the Hurricanes in the bottom of the seventh inning after tying the game in the top of the final inning.
Blue Devils head coach David Hill said it was a tough loss for his team because the game was so close.
The game started tight in the first inning with ECHS jumping out to a 2-1 lead before giving up two runs in the bottom of the second and one in the bottom of the third.
The Blue Devils started creeping back in the top of the fifth by scoring one run, and they seemed to have the game headed towards extra innings after scoring a run in the top of the seventh.
The dream of a split in the doubleheader ended when the Hurricanes managed to squeak out a run to end the game.
ECHS was led by Ryan Linam’s 2-for-2 performance at the plate. Linam was also walked twice in the loss.
Blue Devils senior Michael Thomas went 2-for-4 in the game, which was an improvement on his 0-for-3 performance in Game 1.
Blue Devils batters Eric Coley, Marshall Rolin and Nick Flowers all hit 1-for-4 in Game 2.
Hill said his team got hits, but could have done a little better at the plate.
Hayden McGill started the game on the mound for ECHS and pitched four innings. McGill gave up six runs, four hits and three walks to the Hurricanes. He also went 1-for-3 at home plate.
Thomas came in for relief duty in the fifth inning and pitched two complete innings. Thomas struck out a batter and gave up the winning run to Flomaton.
The Blue Devils next game is at home against Foley on Monday at 4 p.m.
Flomaton 7
ECHS 1
The Blue Devils of Escambia County suffered their first lost Thursday 7-1 to the Flomaton Hurricanes.
The Blue Devils (2-1) had a rough outing at the plate in the game, and couldn’t get a man across the plate until the sixth inning, but by that time the Hurricanes led 6-1.
Blue Devils head coach David Hill said his team‘s performance at the plate held them back.
The first two innings between the county rivals were knotted at zero before the Hurricanes got on the board with a six-run third inning.
The fourth and fifth innings resembled the first and second with neither team scoring any runs.
In the sixth inning, the Blue Devils managed to get a man around the bases, and they put one on the scoreboard. That run would be overshadowed in the bottom of that inning as the Hurricanes put a nail in the coffin by scoring their seventh and final run.
Hill said the first loss of the season is always a tough thing hit for a team.
Maurice White paced the Blue Devils at the plate by batting 2-for-3 in the loss.
Ryan Linam and Eric Coley combined to bat 2-for-5 at the plate against the Hurricanes, and Marshall Rolin went 1-for-4.
Rolin started the game for ECHS and pitched four innings. He struck out three batters, but gave up five hits, four runs and a walk to Flomaton.
Jacob Rackard took over on the mound in the fifth inning and struck out two batters, while allowing three hits, a run and a walk in the loss.