Leake Academy baseball season comes to an end
The Leake Academy Rebels entered last week’s Class 5A North State playoff series against one of the best teams in the state in defending state champion Magnolia Heights.
The Rebels didn’t leave with a series win but left with a measure of respect from the defending champions.
Magnolia Heights took game 1 of the series in a slugfest, winning 10-8 on Tuesday in Madden. The Rebels bounced back and took game 2 of the series 3-1 on Thursday, handing the defending champions a rare loss to a Mississippi team. But the Chiefs finished off the series in the rubber match as they used a one-hit shutout to beat Leake 4-0 and claim the series win.
Leake finishes the season with a 26-8 record, setting a school record for wins in a season.
Magnolia Heights 10, Leake 8
The Rebels overcame a slow start but couldn’t hold on as the Chiefs took a two-run win in game 1 of the series on Tuesday in Madden.
Magnolia Heights scored four runs in the top of first inning but Leake answered with two runs in the bottom of the first. After the Chiefs scored one in the top of the second, Leake scored six in the bottom of the second, thanks to a grand slam by Gage Warren to take an 8-5 lead. But Mag Heights scored three in the top of the third and added single runs in the fourth and sixth innings.
Each team had 12 hits in the contest while but Leake had four errors in the field. Tanner Walsworth was 3-for-4 with two doubles and two RBIs while Gage Warren was 2-for-4 with a double, home run and five RBIs. Jack Harkins was 2-for-5 with two runs scored while Will Garner was 2-for-4 with a double. Matthew Nowell was 2-for-4 while Easton Page also doubled and scored.
Caden Stovall started on the mound after missing the last two starts and went four innings, giving up nine runs on eight hits while striking out three. Nowell pitched the last three innings and gave up one run on four hits.
Leake 3, Magnolia Heights 1
The Rebels scored three runs in the top of the seventh and got a standout pitching performance from Will Garner to take a two-run win over the Chiefs, dealing them only their second loss to a Mississippi team this year.
Magnolia Heights scored a run in the fourth inning before Leake got going in the top of the seventh. Majure Chandler singled to start the inning while Garner doubled with one out. Easton Page then doubled to scored two runs and gave Leake a 2-1 lead. After a groundout moved Page to third, he scored on an error at third to give the Rebels a 3-1 lead. Garner then got the last three outs to secure the win for the Rebels.
Garner pitched his best game of the season as he went seven full innings in just 79 pitches, giving up five hits and one run.
Each team had five hits in the contest. Page and Garner each had doubles while Tanner Walsworth, Chandler and Matthew Nowell each singled.
Magnolia Heights 4, Leake 0
The Chiefs allowed just one hit and took a shutout win in the third game of the series on Thursday to take the win and advance.
After three scoreless innings to start the game, Magnolia Heights scored two in the fourth and one the fifth and sixth innings.
Mag Heights outhit Leake 4-1 in the win. Leake’s only hit was a double by Easton Page.
Matthew Nowell started on the mound and went four innings, giving up three runs on three hits and two walks. Jack Harkins pitched the last two innings ands gave up one run on one hit and two walks.