By Kyle Parmley
MOUNTAIN BROOK — Clay-Chalkville concluded its participation in the Mountain Brook Spring Break Tournament with a pair of games Monday and a final contest Tuesday.
After taking down Carver-Birmingham and falling to Mountain Brook last Saturday, the Cougars returned to the Spartans’ home field to face off against Ragland and Cedar Bluff on Monday.
Clay-Chalkville (10-15) took care of Ragland in five innings, reaching a 10-run lead in the bottom of the fifth to end the game at the 11-1 score. The Cougars scored in four of the five innings, including three runs in the first and fourth, and four runs in the fifth.
Jalen Buckner, Chandler Parker and Jordan Young led the way with a pair of RBIs each. Buckner, Tyler Duke and Jeremy Rhodes all chipped in a pair of hits, with Duke and Rhodes driving in a run each. Colton Friday pitched the complete game, surrendering a single run and three hits while striking out four.
A six-run seventh inning from Cedar Bluff erased a four-run deficit and allowed it to knock off Clay-Chalkville 8-6 in the Cougars’ second game of the day. Blake Petty struck out the first two men in the deciding inning, but the Tigers scored all six before the third out was recorded.
Rhodes and Matthew Calvert strung together two hits apiece, with Calvert contributing a triple. Rhodes and Andrew Blount each drove in a pair of runs, and Michael Kilgore added an RBI to his stat line as well. Duke scored twice. Christian Crawford got the start on the mound for the Cougars, giving up a single run in 3 2/3 innings of work.
Clay-Chalkville attempted some comeback its own Tuesday, but fell short, losing to Moody 5-3. The Blue Devils scored a run in the final three innings to take a 5-1 lead into the Cougars’ last at-bat. The Cougars scored a couple runs in the inning, but could get no closer.
Buckner, Parker and Justin Lovell knocked in the three runs for Clay-Chalkville on the day. Buckner hit a double while Calvert and Wesley Meier had two hits each. Calvert got the start on the mound, as he went five innings and took the loss. Two of the three runs he allowed were earned. He also struck out five Blue Devils.