Dixie Majors split with Sheffield

J.R. Tidwell/FCT Franklin County pitcher J.T. Watkins fires off a pitch from the mound. Watkins pitched the entire five-inning game for Franklin County, giving up four runs with five strikeouts.

MUSCLE SHOALS —The Franklin County Dixie Majors baseball team, comprised of high school players from around the county, went 1-1 with the Sheffield Bulldogs Thursday night. The team won game one 5-4 but fell 9-2 in the nightcap.

“In game one we made some good plays on defense,” head coach Donnie Hastings said. “It’s big when you can score runs early.”

Franklin County jumped on top of Sheffield early in game one, scoring four runs in the first inning and one in the second.

Chase Lindsey hit a two-RBI double, Nick Schmittou had an RBI and Taylor Hamilton went 3-3 and brought in two runs to account for Franklin County’s five runs of game one.

The Bulldogs made a late-inning rally in their last at-bat, but were stopped short of tying the game by one run.

J.T. Watkins was the winning pitcher. He threw for all five innings giving up four runs with five strikeouts.

“We’ve had this team together for two or three years,” Hastings said. “We’ve got players from almost every school in the county, and they get along really well.”

Game two was dictated by Sheffield. The Bulldogs took an early lead that they did not relinquish. Franklin County’s two runs of game two both came on wild pitches, allowing Matt Moses and Kevin Hastings to score from third.