Lindsay Lane falls in finals
May 20—JACKSONVILLE — Lindsay Lane baseball's goal this season was to bring home a trophy at the end of the season.
The Lions did just that Friday after the Class 1A championship series ended.
It wasn't the state championship trophy. Defending state champion Bayshore Christian took that prize back to Fairhope with the sweep of Lindsay Lane.
The Eagles finished off the Lions with an 8-4 win at Jim Case Stadium at Jacksonville State. That followed Bayshore's 7-2 win in Game 1 on Thursday.
"A lot of blood, sweat and tears go into the season," Lindsay Lane coach Charles Morrison said. "We came with high expectations to win it all and it stings that we didn't, but we have nothing to hang our head about."
In just its fourth season to compete in the Alabama High School Athletic Association, Lindsay Lane put its name on the baseball map as a program that has arrived as a force to contend with.
If not for a couple of plays in each of the two games with Bayshore, Lindsay Lane might have carried home the championship trophy.
Lindsay Lane led 2-0 heading into the bottom of the sixth inning in Thursday's Game 1. Bayshore then scored seven runs to take the 7-2 win.
In Game 2, the teams were tied 4-4 after five innings. In the top of the sixth, Bayshore had runners at second and third with one out and No. 3 hitter John Malone coming to the plate.
Lindsay Lane chose to intentionally walk Malone to pitch to clean-up hitter Cole Dean. The freshman was looking fastball from Lindsay Lane lefty Ray Anderson. Instead Dean got a change-up that he slapped into left field for a three-run double.
It was the play of the game. Dean knew it and showed it with his display of emotions as he arrived at second.
"We had scouted Bayshore through the playoffs," Morrison said. "We knew their 1-4 hitters were extremely good.
"We had a coaches' meeting in the dugout and decided to walk Malone. That way instead of having to face two of their best bullets we would just face one."
Bayshore added a run in the seventh to make the final margin of 8-4.
Lindsay Lane (28-8) loses four seniors, but they are four big contributors. Pitcher Micah Perkins has signed with Huntingdon. Catcher Sam Hogue is headed to Wallace State. The other seniors are infielder Mason Burns and outfielder/pitcher AJ Davis.
"This was a great group of players to coach," Morrison said. "It's been a process building this program. Now we have a lot of good young kids in the program. The future is exciting and we want to get back here."
— david.elwell@decaturdaily.com or 256-340-2395. Twitter @DD_DavidElwell.
