Leake Academy baseball team makes playoffs
The Leake Academy Rebels finished the regular season with one of the best win totals in school history.
The Rebels swept three games from East Rankin this past week to finish the regular season, winning 2-0 on Tuesday, 12-2 on Thursday and 6-1 on Saturday.
Leake improves to 21-7 on the season and makes the playoffs for the first time since 2008. Leake will travel to Pillow Academy on Tuesday for a 5:30 p.m. contest and will then host the Mustangs on Thursday starting at 4 p.m. If the teams split the first two games, game three would also be Thursday following game 2.
Leake 2, East Rankin 0
The Patriots had just three hits as the Rebels took a shutout win on Tuesday.
The game was scoreless for the first four innings before Leake scored two runs in the fifth inning.
Leake had eight hits as Bishop Hardin and Rhett Atkinson each went 2-for-3 with a double. Riley Myers and Matthan Weaver each singled and scored a run. Camden Marble and Charlie Brantley also had singles.
Riley Myers started on the mound and pitched four innings, giving up just one hit and two walks while striking out eight. Rhett Stovall pitched the last three innings and gave up two hits with one strikeout.
Leake 12, East Rankin 2
The Rebels scored eight runs in the last two innings and took a 10-run win over the Patriots on Thursday.
Leake scored two in the top of the first while East Rankin scored one in the bottom of the frame. Leake added two more in the third while East Rankin scored one in the fourth to cut the score to 4-2. But Leake finished with four in the fifth, three in the sixth and one in the seventh.
Leake outhit East Rankin 13-1. Riley Myers was 3-for-3 with a double, home run three runs scored and four RBIs. Bishop Hardin was 2-for-3 with a double and three runs scored while Rece Atkinson was 3-for-4 with a triple and three RBIs. Whitt Welch was 2-for-5 while Rhett Atkinson tripled and scored twice. Rhett Stovall also singled and scored twice.
Bishop Hardin started on the mound and pitched six solid innings as he gave up just two unearned runs on one hit while striking out six. Rece Atkinson pitched the last inning and struck out three to take the win.
Leake 6, East Rankin 1
The Rebels scored in four straight innings and took a five-run win over the Patriots to take a five-run win and sweep the series.
Leake scored two in the third and sixth and single runs in the fourth and fifth. Leake had eight hits as Whitt Welch was 2-for-4 with three RBIs. Charlie Brantley was 2-for-3 with two doubles while Bishop Hardin singled and scored twice. Riley Myers and Camden Marble each singled and scored a run.
Bryce Watkins started on the mound and pitched five innings, giving up just four hits and a walk while striking out three. Jack Harkins pitched the sixth and gave up one unearned run on two hits while Brew McLain pitched the seventh and gave up one hit and struck out two.