After an 8-3 win to sweep Oak Hill, all Winona Christian needed was a win over Carroll Academy to clinch a playoff berth.
The Stars made sure that was never an issue as they took a 22-1 win over the Rebels on Tuesday in the regular-season finale for both teams.
\Winona is now 11-8 on the season and will face Tri-County in the first round of the playoffs. The Stars will host Tri-County on Tuesday, April 30 at 5:30 p.m. and will play there on Monday, May 2 at 4 p.m. An if-necessary game would follow at 6 p.m. on Monday if the two teams split the first two games.
Winona Christian 22, Carroll 1
The Stars needed just three innings to take a run-rule win over the Rebels on Tuesday.
Winona scored seven runs in the first, 10 in the second and five in the third while Carroll scored one run in the first.
Winona outhits Carroll 10-1 in the contest and had seven walks, four reach on errors and four hit batters. Reed Roberts had a big day at the top of the lineup, going 4-for-4 with a double, three runs scored and two RBIs. Corley Goss was 3-for-4 at the plate with a double, home run, two runs scored and five RBIs. Blake Marlow had a home run, scored twice and also had five RBIs. Latham Hill had a double, walked twice, scored three runs and had three RBIs. Dalton Wiggins had three walks and scored three runs while John White, Deuce Irwin and Connor Nail all scored two runs apiece. The Stars had nine stolen bases as well as Roberts had three while Wiggins had two and Colby Marlow had two.
Gavin Wiltshire double and scored Carroll’s only run while Dane Greenlee picked up the RBI.
Cade Marlow got the start on the mound and pitch all three innings, giving up one hit and striking out three.
Maddox Carpenter, Lofton Holly and Zack Davis all pitched for Carroll.
Game forfeited
Winona Christian was forced to forfeit their 5-4 win over Central Holmes after MAIS Academy Athletic Commission upheld a ruling that WCS had violated the MAIS pitch-count rule in the game, played on Friday, March 29.
According to Head Coach Shannon Self, the violation was made due to a bookkeeping error on WCS’s part during the game. The ruling did not affect the Stars’ playoff berth.
According to the Academy Athletics Commission rules, a pitcher may not throw more than 110 pitches in a game but may start a batter with less than 110 and finish that batter. Starting an at-bat with more than 110 pitches is a violation of the rule.
Winona Christian was fined $300 and placed on six-months probation for the violation as well as forfeiting the game in which the pitch-count violation occurred.
The Academy Athletics Commission also handed down violations for Bayou Academy and Park Place Academy for the same violation this year.
