Photo: Sardis High’s Russ Wiggs delivers a pitch during the Lions’ loss to Corner in the first round of the Class 5A state baseball playoffs on April 22 in Sardis City. (Courtesy of Bentley Gray Photography)
Corner collected 26 hits, including 12 for extra bases, in a two-game sweep of Sardis in the first round of the Class 5A state baseball playoffs on April 22 in Sardis City.
The Yellow Jackets posted an 8-2 victory in the opener, followed by a 15-4 win in sixth innings in the nightcap.
Corner jumped out to a 7-0 lead in Game 1 before the Lions (20-12) finally responded in the bottom of the sixth, when Landon Carroll scored on Brody Samples sacrifice fly and Levi Martin doubled home Trey Thornton. Sardis did not help its cause with five fielding errors.
The Lions struggled against Corner starter Colin Daniel, who in seven innings allowed four hits, two runs and two walks while fanning 10. Carroll went 2-for-3 with a double and a run scored.
Sardis actually led 4-1 going into the bottom of the fourth in game 2, helped by RBI singles from Samples in both the top of the first and third. The Lions had little success against Corner starter Ethan Muncher from that point on, as he allowed only four hits and five baserunners over the final three innings. Meanwhile, the Yellow Jackets scored six runs in the fifth inning and another eight in the six to end the game on the 10-run mercy rule.
Muncher went the distance, scattering seven hits and three walks while fanning eight.
At the plate for the Lions, Samples went 3-for-3 with two RBI and a run scored, while Russ Wiggs went 2-for-3 with two RBI.