Brown helps Red Bay remain hot

By Staff
Mike Self FCT Sports Editor
RED BAY – Brandon Brown struck out eight batters and allowed only one hit in a five-inning complete game on Tuesday as Red Bay remained unbeaten with a 10-0 victory over county rival Belgreen.
The Tigers improved to 6-0 on the season, their best start in coach Donnie Hastings' six-year tenure.
"I hope this is something we can keep building on," Hastings said after his team broke open a close game with six runs in the bottom of the fifth inning. "We've still got another couple of weeks before area play starts, and that's when we'll really be tested."
Brown (1-0) projects to be one of Red Bay's top starters when those area games begin, and the junior lefthander looked sharp on Tuesday. He kept the Bulldogs (0-2) off balance with his slow curve and finished strong, striking out five of the last seven batters he faced.
"I'd say that curveball is probably his best pitch," Hastings said. "Brandon didn't pitch much for us last year, but he's going to be on the mound a lot this season. The biggest thing he did today was throw strikes. All of our pitchers, for the most part, have been doing a good job of that. Those three weeks we spent throwing and getting our arms in shape before the season started were a real key for us."
The Tigers turned in a solid effort at the plate as well, banging out 10 hits and taking advantage of five Belgreen errors.
Brown and first baseman Nathan Hopkins, the first two hitters in Red Bay's lineup, set the pace by going a combined 6-for-8 with four RBIs and three runs scored.
"Nathan's only an 8th-grader, but he's been around baseball for a long time," Hastings said. "He's played in a lot of youth leagues and fall leagues coming up, and it shows. We didn't really decide who was going to play first for us until right before the first game, but he's been swinging the bat pretty well."
Brown and Hopkins each had key hits in Red Bay's big fifth inning. Stephen Prestage started the rally with a one-out single off Belgreen starter Colby Barnett, and Ely Cox was hit by a pitch.
After Sammy Thigpen reached on an error to load the bases, Prestage scored when Derrick Miller reached on another error.
Nicholas Taylor followed with a two-run single up the middle, and Brown chased Barnett with a two-run triple to right field that gave the Tigers a 9-0 lead.
Hopkins greeted reliever Justin Gardner with an RBI single to drive in the final run of the game.
Barnett took the loss, allowing nine hits and one walk while striking out four in 4 2/3 innings. Belgreen coach Derek Ergle was more concerned with the Bulldogs' inability to get anything going with the bats against Brown.
"He's a good pitcher, but we have to do a better job of making contact," Ergle said. "We just didn't hit the baseball, plain and simple. Colby probably should have gotten a 'W.' He pitched a great game."
After Brown notched a pair of strikeouts in the top of the first, the Tigers got on the board with two runs in the bottom half. Brown led off with a single and moved to third on Hopkins' double to right-center.
Brown scored when Cody Armstrong reached on an error, and Morgan Stanfield's RBI groundout made it 2-0.
Barnett pitched around a two-out single by Derrick Miller in the bottom of the second, but Red Bay pushed across an unearned run in the third to make it 3-0.
The Tigers added another run in the fourth on singles by Miller, Brown and Hopkins.
Belgreen's only hit off Brown was a one-out single by Jordan Williams in the second.
Brown finished 3-for-4 with two RBIs and two runs scored, and Hopkins was 3-for-4 with a run and two RBIs. Miller was 2-for-3 with two runs scored, and Taylor and Prestage each added one hit.