Bessemer Academy had lost five straight at home, but on Thursday they dropped down to 9-22-1 to make it six. They fell just short of Coosa Valley Academy by a score of 6-4. Unfortunately, that's the second time they've come up short against Coosa Valley Academy this season, as they also lost their prior matchup 9-1 back in February.
Bessemer Academy saw six different players step up and record at least one hit. One of them was Kennar Jones, who went 2-for-3 with one RBI.
As for Coosa Valley Academy, the win (which was their fourth in a row) raised their record to 15-9. The victories came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 14.0 runs over those games.
On Coosa Valley Academy's side, Sam Setzer and Parker Dennis made a big impact no matter where they played. Throwing, Setzer tossed one inning while giving up no earned runs or hits. Meanwhile, Dennis struck out 12 batters over six innings while giving up just two earned (and two unearned) runs off eight hits. He has been nothing but reliable on the mound: he hasn't tossed less than five strikeouts in five consecutive appearances. At bat, Setzer went 2-for-4 with two runs and one double, while Dennis went 2-for-4 with one run, one double, and one RBI. Setzer has become a key player for Coosa Valley Academy: the team is 11-1 when he posts at least two runs, but 4-8 otherwise.
In other batting news, the team relied heavily on Andrew Weaver, who went 3-for-4 with one home run, three RBI, and two runs. He is becoming a predictor of Coosa Valley Academy's success: when he posts at least two runs the team is undefeated (and 7-9 when he doesn't). The team also got some help courtesy of Kellin Smith, who went 1-for-3 with two stolen bases, one double, and one RBI.
Both teams are looking forward to the support of their home crowds in their upcoming games. Bessemer Academy will welcome Chambers Academy at 4:00 p.m. on Monday. Chambers Academy's pitching crew has only allowed 3.7 runs per game this season, so Bessemer Academy's hitters will have their work cut out for them. As for Coosa Valley Academy, they will look to defend their home field on Friday against The Rock Academy at 6:00 p.m. The Lions have struggled to contain batters this season (they've allowed 13.64 runs per game on average), something the Rebels will no doubt try to take advantage of.
