By Gary Lloyd
TRUSSVILLE — It felt like it was May 2013 in Montgomery again.
Hewitt-Trussville and Pelham, who faced off for last year’s Class 6A state championship, battled through scoreless innings until the very end today at Phil English Field.
A Tyler White two-run home run to left field with two outs in the top of the sixth inning was the difference, and Pelham won 2-0.
Freshman Cameron Moore pitched a complete game for Hewitt-Trussville (10-4), allowing just the two runs on two hits. He walked eight batters. The White home run put an end to his bid for a no-hitter.
Senior Tyler Payne also pitched a complete game for Pelham, allowing just a first-inning single to Hewitt-Trussville senior right fielder Riley Stokes. He struck out eight and walked one. He retired 17 straight batters between the first and seventh innings.
“They’re very good,” Hewitt-Trussville head coach Jeff Mauldin said of Pelham, the team he coached for six seasons before coming to Hewitt-Trussville.
He said that in about the fourth or fifth inning, it crossed his mind that this game reminded him of Game 2 of the Class 6A state championship series at Riverwalk Stadium in Montgomery last year. Pelham won that game 1-0.
It’s just one early season loss, but it’s a humbling loss for Hewitt-Trussville.
“It’s still good for us to play quality people,” Mauldin said. “There’s a long way to go.”
Mauldin said the team is still trying to find its identity, and needs to have some guys step up and win spots in the lineup for good.
“We’ve got to keep working,” Mauldin said. “That’s the bottom line. We’re not going to rest on this. We’re not satisfied with playing them to a close game. We’ve got to find a way to beat good people, which we have this year. We’ve just got to get consistent.”
Contact Gary Lloyd at news@trussvilletribune.com and follow him on Twitter @GaryALloyd.