Lewis County Herald - Serving Hohenwald, Lewis County Tennessee Since 1898

By Jason Fite

The Lewis County Middle School Panthers traveled to Ethridge for a game against the Ethridge Bulldogs on Monday, March 21st.

Dakota Hull connected with one out in the top of the first for a single and Kegan Carroll-Clayton and Kolt Skelton each drew two-out walks ahead of a line drive double off the bat of Jalen Smith that plated 2 for the Panthers, giving them an early 2-0 lead. Smith took the mound to start for Lewis County and took down the Bulldogs in order in the home first, striking out 2. Cayleb Moore and Phenix McDonald each reached to start the second. Moore would advance around and score on an error to make it a 3-0 game, and McDonald would come across on a misplayed ball off the bat of Braylon Bean to make it 4-0. Dakota Hull would take the mound in the second for Lewis County and surrendered a leadoff walk followed by a pair of one-out walks. Ethridge would get on the board behind three consecutive walks with the bases loaded before Kegan Carroll-Clayton came in to get the Panthers out of the jam with Lewis County leading 4-3. Smith led off the top of the third with a double to right field and Cayleb Moore reached on catcher interference with one out. With two down, Maddox Tanner connected on a two-run single and was followed by walks to Hull, Bean, Carroll-Clayton, and Skelton that scored two more runs to build the Lewis County lead to 8-3. Carroll-Clayton returned to the mound in the home third and worked around a pair of one-out walks to keep the Bulldogs off the board. Phenix McDonald reached on a two-out single to left, but the Panthers went down scoreless in the fourth inning. After a leadoff walk, Carroll-Clayton struck out three in a row to end the Bulldog fourth. Hull led off the fifth with a single to left-center but was forced out on a ground ball from Bean. With Bean aboard, Carroll-Clayton drove a double to right to bring a run in. Skelton drew a walk and Bean crossed the plate on a wild pitch during Carroll-Clayton’s at bat to make it a 10-3 game. Skelton would come around to score on an error on a ball hit by Nate James and the Panthers took an 11-3 lead into the home fifth. Kolt Skelton came on in relief in the home fifth and worked out of a one-out, bases loaded jam to hold the Bulldogs scoreless and striking out 3. Eli Chapin drew a leadoff walk in the visitor sixth but was retired on a fielder’s choice ground ball from Carson Stewart. The Panthers would load the bases ahead of a 2-run double by James and add another on a misplayed ball off the bat of Moore to take a 14-3 lead. Kolt Skelton worked a scoreless sixth to seal the win for the Panthers.

Jalen Smith had 2 hits, both doubles, a run and 2 RBI, Dakota Hull added 2 hits and 2 runs, Maddox Tanner a hit, a run, and 2 RBI, Kegan Carroll-Clayton a double, 2 runs, and 2 RBI, Nate James a double and 2 RBI, Phenix McDonald 1 hit and a run, Kolt Skelton 1 run and 1 RBI, Braylon Bean 1 run, and Cayleb Moore 2 runs. Jalen Smith went 1 inning and struck out 2, Dakota Hull went 2/3 of an inning, gave up 3 runs on 6 walks and struck out 1, Kegan Carroll-Clayton pitched 2 1/3 innings giving up no runs, walking 2 and striking out 6. Kolt Skelton went 2 innings, gave up no runs on 4 hits, walked 1 and struck out 4.