Baseball Splits Weekend with Alpena and Lincoln Trail
Decatur, AL – Calhoun baseball wrapped up a busy two-day stretch at home Thursday and Friday (Feb. 19-20), splitting four games against Lincoln Trail and Alpena. The Warhawks earned a pair of wins over Alpena but dropped both contests to Lincoln Trail to finish the weekend slate 2-2.
Game 1 – Lincoln Trail 8, Calhoun 7
Calhoun fell in a back-and-forth battle Thursday despite a late rally.
The game was tied 1-1 through five innings before Lincoln Trail erupted for seven runs in the top of the sixth. The Warhawks answered with one in the bottom half and mounted a strong push in the seventh, plating five runs to bring the tying run to the plate, but ultimately came up just short in the 8-7 loss.
Gavin Gonzalez paced the offense with a home run and three RBI, while William Singewald drove in two runs. Taisuky Rodriguez added an RBI, and Trent Wilson contributed a sacrifice fly.
Cody Hodges was sharp through five innings, allowing just one run while striking out seven. Lincoln Trail capitalized in the sixth before Justin Slaton settled things with 1.2 scoreless innings in relief.
Game 2 – Calhoun 8, Alpena 5
The Warhawks bounced back in Thursday's second game, securing an 8-5 win over Alpena.
Calhoun struck first with two runs in the opening frame. After Alpena clawed back to tie it by the middle innings, the Warhawks regained control with two runs in the fourth. Alpena answered with three in the fifth, but Calhoun responded immediately with two in the bottom half and added two more in the sixth to seal the victory.
Gavin Gonzalez homered and drove in two runs, while Jackson Firestone also went deep and knocked in two. Austin Williamson, Adam Yazel, Jayson Smith Jr., and Seth Walton each batted in runs in a balanced offensive effort.
Seth Walton gave Calhoun four solid innings on the mound, and Kai Kuroda closed out the final three innings to earn the win.
Game 3 – Calhoun 7, Alpena 3
On Friday, Alpena jumped out early with one run in the first and two in the second, but Calhoun responded in a big way.
The Warhawks plated four runs in the bottom of the second, added two more in the third, and another in the fourth to take control of the game.
Taisuky Rodriguez led the offense with two hits and two RBI, while Austin Williamson tripled and drove in a run. Adam Yazel and Jackson Firestone also knocked in runs as Calhoun manufactured runs with aggressive baserunning.
Justin Slaton earned the win in relief, allowing just one earned run over 2.2 innings. Kaiden Wear was dominant over the final four innings, shutting Alpena out to secure the 7-3 victory.
Game 4 – Lincoln Trail 8, Calhoun 3
Calhoun carried momentum into Friday's finale and held a 3-1 lead heading into the sixth inning before the game turned.
Lincoln Trail scored seven runs in the top of the sixth, capitalizing on walks and defensive miscues to take control.
Jackson Firestone collected two hits and drove in a run, while Taisuky Rodriguez added an RBI on a sacrifice fly. The Warhawks swiped three bases but were unable to recover after the sixth-inning surge.
Josh Burrell delivered five strong innings, allowing just two runs, none earned, before exiting. After his departure, Lincoln Trail's rally shifted the game's momentum for good.
Following the two-day stretch, Head Coach Cameron Chafetz reflected on his team's progress. "It was a solid two days of effort," Chafetz said. "We saw a lot of progress in how much these guys care and the passion they're playing with. Now the next step is having guys who want to step up for each other in big moments. That's what good teams do. We're close, but we've got to finish games."
Calhoun will look to build on the positives from the week as they continue their early-season schedule on Tuesday, Feb. 24, at Volunteer State.