By Jason Avery
News-Times Staff
PARKERS CHAPEL - It may have been Senior Day at Parkers Chapel on Monday, but it was a freshman who stole the show.
Trace Shoup, the Trojans’ freshman shortstop, went 2-for-3 with three RBIs, as the Trojans knocked off Fordyce 4-1 at Robert McKinnon Park.
Although Shoup shouldered the offensive load, senior Reece Griffin turned in a terrific performance in long relief, racking up 12 strikeouts over six scoreless innings.
Griffin allowed six hits and walked two while pitching out of jams in the second and third innings before settling in.
However, the Trojans (21-6) found themselves trailing early after the Redbugs (8-13) scored a run in the first.
Dearius Sledge was hit by a pitch and traversed the bases on two passed balls and an error on Ketric Sledge’s grounder to third to open the scoring.
The lead wouldn’t last for long, as the Trojans answered in the bottom half of the inning thanks to Shoup.
With one out, Michael Brotherton singled to left and stole second to get into scoring position.
One out later, Shoup came up with a big two-out hit, rifling a double to left to score Brotherton to get the Trojans back on even terms.
Parkers Chapel then took the lead for good thanks to another two-out hit by Shoup in the third.
With one out, Reid Cates walked.
Brotherton then laid a bunt down the third-base line that led to a throwing error, which put runners at second and third.
One out later, the rally was on the verge of dying, but Shoup laced a 1-0 pitch to right-center for a two-run single to give the Trojans a 3-1 lead.
The Trojans then tacked on an insurance run in the sixth.
Jordan Arrington led off with a walk and stole second.
Griffin then moved Arrington to third with a sacrifice bunt, and the Trojans’ catcher scored moments later on Tyler Martin’s ground out to third.
Taking over for Trojans’ starter Carson Worthey at the outset of the second, Griffin pitched out of a two-on, two-out jam in the second, as well as a bases-loaded jam in the third.
He also worked around leadoff singles by Dearius Sledge and Adam English in the fourth and sixth innings thanks to the aforementioned bevy of strikeouts.
The senior had two strikeouts in every inning sans the third when he had one.
Griffin struck out the side in the sixth following English’s single, and he fanned Weston Gamble to end the game.
Ketric Sledge took the loss for the Redbugs, allowing three runs and three hits over 2 2/3 innings. He walked one and struck out four.
Dearius Sledge went 2-for-4 for Fordyce, who had six hits in the game.
Cates, Brotherton, Austin Looney and Thomas Hardy each had one hit for the Trojans, who had six total in the win.
Parkers Chapel will play at Spring Hill today in a showdown that will go a long way towards determining seeding for next week’s regional tournament.