Post 12 hammers Enterprise

By Ken Rogers

Published: July 18, 2008

Dothan Post 12 may not be swinging the bat the way coach Larry Tubbs would like, but his team generated plenty of offense Friday night.

Post 12 bunted five times in the first three innings of its best-of-three district series playoff against Enterprise Post 73. The result was two errors, two infield singles and a sacrifice that led to a big inning as Dothan won 12-2 in seven innings at Northcutt Field.

“We’re struggling to score runs,” Tubbs said. “We were trying to create some offense. The bunt game obviously was a factor. They mishandled it a couple times, and we were able to capitalize.”

Dothan scored one run in the first and four runs each in the second and third innings.

Post 12 starter Jordan Reid pitched five strong innings, allowing just three hits and three walks with four strikeouts. Relievers Billy Gunnett and Josh Martin pitched an inning apiece without allowing a hit.

“We got good pitching,” Tubbs said. “Jordan was up in the (strike) zone, but he threw well tonight.”

Reid has improved throughout the summer as he worked through control issues.

“At the beginning of summer, I hadn’t pitched for almost a year after being redshirted,” said Reid, who is transferring to Samford after a year at Auburn University-Montgomery. “I struggled a lot with my mechanics. But I wasn’t going to quit. Each time out got a little better, even if it was two innings or three innings.”

Halfway through the summer season, Reid earned a shutout at a tournament in Douglasville, Ga., and has been much more effective.

“That turned it around for me,” Reid said. “I’ve been a lot more consistent since then.”

Reid and Martin will both pitch for Samford’s Casey Dunn, who was at Friday night’s game.

Brennan Olive went 2-for-3, scored two runs and had three RBIs for Post 12. He led off with a single, advanced to second on an error on Parrish Smith’s bunt, and later scored on a fielder’s choice by Taye Larry.

Karsten Whitson singled to lead off the second and scored on an error. Olive’s second base hit of the game scored Hunter Young and Cale Nolen, who both reached on errors. Smith’s bunt single brought home Cody Evans, who was 2-for-3 with two runs scored and two RBIs.

“Cody Evans is giving us some productivity out of that No. 9 spot,” Tubbs said.

Enterprise Post 73’s runs came without a hit. Don Rhoades and Devon Hairston drew one-out walks from Reid in the third. Trent Matherly reached on an error that allowed both players to score.

Matt Whitton had an RBI single and Larry had a run-scoring double in Dothan’s four-run third inning that made it 9-2.

Enterprise Post 73 starter Steven Law showed plenty of guts, throwing a ton of pitches despite giving up just two earned runs through five innings. But he surrendered five walks and three runs in the bottom of the sixth. He threw all six innings.

Game 2 is today at 1 p.m. at Northcutt Field. A third game, if necessary, would follow at 4 p.m.

The series winner advances to the four-team Senior American Legion state tournament at Troy University, which will start next Friday.