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Staff Reports

Crisp County High School’s baseball team was in action on Monday afternoon with a pair of early season contests against Veterans and Howard.  The Cougars split the double-header played at Veterans High with a win over the Howard Huskies by a score of 5-3, followed by a 5-2 defeat against the Veterans Warhawks.

Cougars 5, Howard 3 

The Cougars opened up game one of Monday’s double-header with two runs in the top of the first against the Howard High School Huskies. Toby Stripling led off the frame with a double, and the Cougars got back-to-back walks from Connor Richmond and Jack Carter shortly after to load up the bases. Bailey Barfield and Cole Lancaster both took RBI walks later in the inning to push the two runs across the plate for a 2-0 Crisp County lead.

Howard picked up a run in the bottom of the second to cut the Crisp County lead in half, but the Cougars tacked on their final three runs in the top half of the third inning to go in front 5-1. Jackson Napier and Bailey Barfield each reached base with no one out in the inning. Napier later scored a run on a passed ball, and Barfield came home in the inning after a base hit from Noah Walters. Walters scored shortly after for the final Cougar run of the game.

Howard scored two in the bottom of the fifth to get back to within two runs of the Crisp County lead, but CCHS pitcher Jordan Grinnell closed the door on the Huskies from there with three shutout innings to finish off the 5-3 Cougar win.

Walters pitched four innings for the Cougars in the game and allowed just one run on four hits while striking out six batters. Grinnell pitched the final three frames for Crisp and allowed just two hits and two walks while recording one strikeout.

Offensive leaders for Crisp in the game: Stripling- two hits and one run scored; Barfield and Walters- one hit, one run, and one RBI each; Richmond- one hit and one run scored; Lancaster- two walks and one run scored.

Veterans 5, Cougars 2 

Crisp County fell behind 1-0 to the Veterans High Warhawks in the first inning of game two on Monday afternoon, but the Cougars subsequently took the lead with two runs in the top of the third.

Stripling led off the frame with a single and Richmond reached base on an error in the next at bat to leave the Cougars with runners at second and third with no one out. Carter hit into a fielder’s choice in the subsequent at bat, and the Warhawks were unable to get an out on the play as Stripling scored to tie the game at 1-1. Richmond later scored to give the Cougars the lead after Napier hit a ground ball that led to another Veterans error. Crisp led 2-1 entering the bottom of the third.

The Warhawks went on to score three runs in the bottom half of the third and one in the fourth to come away with the 5-2 win.

Game two offensive leaders for CCHS were as follows: Richmond- two hits and one run scored; Stripling- one hit and one run; Carter- one hit, one walk, and one RBI; Napier- one RBI and one walk; Walters- one hit; Nick Lanneau- one walk.

The 1-1 record in Monday afternoon’s contests put Crisp County at 2-2 overall so far on the young season.

The Cougars are scheduled to play a game at Westover tonight starting at 5:30 p.m. Following that, the next Crisp County home game is scheduled for Friday night at 6 p.m. against the Southland Academy Raiders.