Determined playing lifts Vina to victory
Photo by Bart Moss
Tyler Renfrow pitches for the Vina Red Devils.
By Bart Moss for the FCT
The Vina Red Devils had a big week, picking up four wins on two outstanding pitching performances by James Barnes and some big-time hitting. Vina picked up wins over Belmont (Miss.), Winston County, Lynn and Hubbertville. Barnes recorded a no-hitter against Hubbertville and a one-hit shutout against Lynn this week.
“We have had some great appearances by our pitching staff this season,” said Coach Jake Ward, who has his team off to a 4-2 start. “James has been incredible on the mound. In his last two outings, he has given up only one hit. He is a competitor on the mound and gives us a great chance to win each outing.”
Vina 8, Belmont (Miss.) 7 (Extra Innings)
The Vina Red Devils defeated the Belmont Cardinals 8-7 Thursday thanks to a walk-off single after a long rain delay. The game was tied at seven with the Red Devils batting in the bottom of the seventh inning when Austin Childers singled, driving Justin Gravitt for the winning run.
Belmont took a 4-0 lead in the top of the second inning, but Vina managed to claw their way back to get the win.
Vina scored one run in the bottom of the third inning, when Jacob Lewis scored on a fielder’s choice by Austin Childers.
The Red Devils scored two runs in the fourth inning when Blake Hardin scored on a base on balls and Chris Brewer scored on a sacrifice fly by Gravitt.
Vina tied the game at four in the bottom of the fifth inning when Andrew Upton stole second base and scored on an error.
The Red Devils took the lead in the bottom of the sixth inning on a single by Upton scoring Lewis. Tyler Renfrow then stole home to give Vina a 6-4 lead going into the final inning.
Belmont took a one-run lead, 7-6, in the top of the seventh inning. Vina tied the game in the bottom of the seventh when Lewis scored on a throwing error. The Red Devils got the walk-off win when Gravitt scored on single by Childers.
Vina racked up 11 hits. Gravitt, Childers, Upton, Lewis and Harding had two hits each.
Vina 19, Hubbertville 2
James Barnes pitched a no-hitter for the Vina Red Devils in a 19-2 shellacking of Hubbertville last week. Barnes forced a groundout to get the final out of the game and the no-hitter.
Vina scored one run in the first inning and blew the game wide open with eight runs in the second inning, three runs in the third inning and seven runs in the fourth inning.
Hubbertville scored their two runs in the fourth inning on some walks and throwing errors.
Gravitt had three hits and scored four runs. Renfrow had one hit, three runs scored and three runs batted in. Childers had two runs batted in. Andrew Upton had three hits, scored three runs and had three runs batted in. Austin Harper had a hit and run scored. Blake Hardin had three hits, scored three runs and had three runs batted in. Barnes, to go along with his stellar pitching performance, had three hits, scored two runs and three runs batted in.
Barnes, Gravitt and Refrow each had triples. Upton and Hardin each had a double.
Barnes struck out nine in the game.
Vina 16, Lynn 0
James Barnes pitched a shutout as the Vina Red Devils routed the Lynn Bears 16-0 Saturday. Barnes allowed just one hit in the game.
Childers led Vina to the win by driving in four runs. He went 2-for-4 at the plate. Childers drove in runs on a double in the third, a stolen base in the sixth and a single in the sixth.
The Red Devils scored 11 runs in the sixth inning on a single by Gravitt, a wild pitch, a stolen base by Childers, a single by Upton, a single by Barnes, a single by Josh Cochran, and a single by Gravitt.
Vina had 11 hits in the game. Childers, Jacob Lewis and Gravitt had two hits each for the Red Devils. Gravitt, Lewis, Childers, Barnes and Jackson Landers all scored multiple runs in the game. Childers collected four RBIs while Gravitt racked up three.
Vina 9, Winston County 7
Fielding miscues ruled the day for both the Vina Red Devils and the Winston County Yellow Jackets, but Vina was the team to overcome the lapses and get the win. Vina scored two runs in the fifth and three runs in the sixth to finally pull away from the pesky Yellow Jackets and win 9-7.
The Red Devils scored two runs in the top of the first inning after Winston County walked the bases loaded. Vina got their first runs when Lewis scored on a walk and Upton scored on a passed ball. Winston County tied the game up at two in the bottom of the first inning on some Red Devil errors.
Vina retook the lead in the bottom of the second inning on a passed ball and throwing error that allowed two runs to score to make the score 4-2 Vina. Winston County scored two runs in the bottom of the fourth on Vina errors to tie the game at four.
The Red Devils took the lead for good in the top of the fifth inning when Barnes singled, scoring Hardin and Harper.
Vina picked up three more runs in the sixth inning when Lewis scored on an error, Childers stole home and Upton scored on an RBI single by Harper to give Vina a 9-4 lead. Winston County scored one in the sixth and two in the seventh, but the Red Devils held on for the win.
Gravitt, Lewis and Harper racked up multiple hits in the game. Lewis scored three runs, while Upton scored two. Harper and Barnes had two RBIs each.
