Anniston, AL – Three home runs, a stout game 3 pitches from Farrell Help Donoho defeat Sulligent 10-6 and move on to the second round of play against Fayetteville
Joe Medley Joe Medley
Donoho had a stronger first-round opponent than the majority of players in the area during the class 2A playoffs, but ended having to use the equipment to win Game 3 on Saturday to advance.
Thanks to Hayes Farrell’s pitching skills and 3 homers, the Donoho had the proper stuff.
Farrell relaxed Sulligent bats after a rough start. Peyton Webb, Nic Thompson and Blake Sewell homered to power the Falcons to a 10-6 win at home.
Donoho (21-4) advance to to next week’s second round Class 2A series by hosting Fayetteville on home turf, dates and timings to be decided.
“We’re trying to make it happen on Thursday and Friday,” Donoho coach Steve Gendron stated. “The state championship will be on a Monday, so we you need to get started in the early hours of.”
The first round of the series pits champions from the area against runners-up from the area however, Sulligent (8-12) ended up being runner-up due to four forfeits during the season related to an uninvolved player.
“They’re a great squad,” Gendron said. “That’s the message I gave Coach after that game. I would’ve loved to see you in the finals.”
A tougher-than-expected first-round opponent meant a tougher-than-expected first-round series. Sulligent beat the game 2 on Friday 7-2, forcing an extra game. Donoho moved up to Class 1A to 2A this year in baseball due to the AHSAA’s competition equilibrium rule in private schools required its pitching depth get there and its bats to back it.
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Farrell was able to complete 6 1/3 innings, scattering four hits while allowed three earned runs. He also had five strikeouts and two walks before handing the game over to the Thompson for the final strikeout.
Farrell took on Hunter Wood’s second-inning two-run home run, bringing Sulligent close to 4-2. Blue Devils’ four-run rally at the top of the third, to reduce the gap of 7-6 to Donoho.
“We’re still a school in the 1A division that is playing as a 2A school,” Gendron said. “We did not magically acquire 20 more players and, in the middle of a Game 3, you’re throwing your arm. 3 arm. Hayes pitched today as one or two which is why we played.
“We were able to have one bad game in which we had catcher interference, an unlucky fly ball that was dropped and we also walked an individual who was a catcher. That’s how they scored those runs. but Hayes threw with a grin. I couldn’t be more satisfied with Hayes.”
Donoho was the main player. remaining with long balls.
Peyton Webb’s two-run homer was the most devastating blow of the Falcons the team’s four-run opening. Webb’s record-setting school totals jumped to 19 career homers, and 13 in the current season.
Thompson’s three-run blast provided Donoho an 8-2 lead in the second innings.
“My first bat,” he said. I thought I had made wrongly called,” he said. “I thought he had taken the bat from my fingers, but it’s my fault. I’m going to have to hit it.
“Second on the field, I was able to unwind and it was like a blast. I tried to get the players up, but it just kept getting going.”
After Sulligent extended the lead up to 7-6 Sewell hit his third-inning shot.
It was the final piece of evidence that Donoho has the offensive when it’s needed.
“We were aware that Hayes would put his foot in and challenge them for the rest of the game,” Sewell said. “We knew Hayes was going to give us an opportunity and we were aware that we didn’t get it right last time, but we didn’t care about it and were prepared to go out.” The team will find more stories from sports…]
