CENTRE – Sometimes taking things personally really helps. Just ask Piedmont sophomore second baseman McClane Mohon.
With his team already up 5-1 in the top of the second inning and the bases loaded at Cherokee County on Friday afternoon, Mohon blasted a grand slam to deep left center field off reliever Garrett McCray to essentially put the dagger in the Warriors. Class 3A, No. 3 Piedmont went on to earn a 12-1 win in five innings for its 13th straight victory.
“It felt real good,” Mohon said. “I was like ‘Take it personal. Just get mad and take it out on the ball.’ It was a curve ball. He hung it. I saw it, sat back and hit that thing.”
Mohon finished the game going 2-for-3 with two runs and four RBIs. He was also hit by a pitch.
“We’ve really been playing with a chip on our shoulder here lately, and that really makes a difference,” Mohon said. “We’ve been taking stuff personal, but not too personal. We’re not looking at the other team really. We’ve just been playing ourselves, and it’s really been working. We’ve just got to keep playing like we’ve been playing.”
Mohon’s grand slam was the first of his varsity career. It’s also only the second home run he’s has had. He went yard once last baseball season.
“I’m excited for him,” Piedmont head coach Matt Deerman said. “He’s been swinging it really well lately. He’s leading us in doubles and he finally got one out at a good time. I’m proud for him.”
The Bulldogs (19-4) gave starting pitcher Cassius Fairs plenty of wiggle room early. They batted around and scored four runs in the top of the first, then sent 10 to the plate in the second and scored seven more times to go up 11-1.
Fairs allowed just three hits in four innings with a walk and three strikeouts to earn the win.
“He got ahead in counts and did a good job mixing his pitches,” Deeman said of Fairs. “I thought he did a good pitching with the lead. He got in one little jam there (in the bottom of the first) and gave up a run, but he minimized the damage. He had second and third with no outs, but he only gave up one run. That’s the kind of stuff we want to do. If you get in a situation, you want to minimize the damage. For the most part, we worked ahead in the count.”
As Deerman mentioned, Fairs got in a little trouble in the bottom of the first inning against the Warriors (10-15). Lead-off batter Malachi Horton reached on an infield single, then shortstop Jeb Crane doubled to left, but Fairs minimized the damage to retire the side with just one run scoring on a grounder to third off the bat of Connor Wilson.
Fairs retired the Warriors in order in the bottom of the second. He walked Cooper Rodgers to lead off the third, but then retired the next three to leave him stranded.
Fairs gave up a single to left to Wilson to begin the bottom of the fourth, but he let his defense play behind him. The Warriors grounded into a double play to end the inning.
“We hit a few balls right at some guys,” Warrior coach Will Smith said. “We just really didn’t get a chance to get into what we like to do in a ball game playing from behind. I was proud of the guys though. Their body language was good. They fought and did everything they could. It’s just those guys swung it today.”
Austin Estes closed out the game for Piedmont, but not before the Warriors made him work. Pinch hitter Jackson Waldrop was hit by a pitch, then Jackson Aultman walked before Estes struck out the side.
“I told Estes he likes to get in the stretch. He’s got to walk and hit a guy before he can get going,” Deerman joked. “He likes to have a little pressure on him I guess.”
Estes went 2-for-3 with a double, a run and two RBIs. Max Hanson was 2-for-4 with a double, three runs and a RBI. Jack Tolbert tallied a hit, a run and a RBI. Jack Hayes and Noah Reedy both singled, walked and scored a run. Sloan Smith singled and drove in a run. Jake Austin scored twice.
Horton, Crane and Wilson had the lone hits for the Warriors. Horton scored their only run.
Haden Wheeler suffered the loss after working just one inning before giving way to McCray and Walker Pruett.
“We haven’t been run-ruled much,” Smith said. “We’ve been in just about every ball game we’ve played. I was glad to see we didn’t give up, but give credit to Piedmont. They win right now in every sport, and a lot of times it’s hard to beat that. I know it’s a big rivalry game. Hopefully we’ll start being on the better end of some of those.”
