Charles Henderson High Head Coach Derek Irons knew there was no quit in Rehobeth, and his Trojans needed every hit, every run and every pitcher to get out of Hogan’s Hole with two wins Friday by scores of 6-5 and 19-14 in the second round of the Class 5A playoffs.

Win the two victories, CHHS improves to 35-2 and will advance to the quarter-finals next Friday in Mobile when they take on a consistent 5A powerhouse in St. Paul Episcopal School. The Saints, 37-2 on the year, defeated Faith Academy by scores of 10-3 and 13-2 Friday.

Irons was pleased with getting two wins against Rehobeth, a team he knew was going to fight to the end.

“When we played them (Rehobeth ) in the area, I was so impressed with how they swung the bats, with their effort,” said Irons. “They never quit. Last week in the first round playoff games they were down 5-0 and 4-0. Today we were up 5-0 and 8-0. I can not say enough about the way they compete and play. We had a harder time getting those guys out than anyone we have faced all year. I can’t say enough about how much respect I have for their team and their coaches, and the way they play.

In the first game, CHHS took a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the first inning on a home run by Chase Smartt, and opened up a 5-0 advantage in the second inning when Jason Fleming and Nick Lewis singled, Reilly Fox walked, Smartt singled to drive in two runs, and Austin Ingram reached on a fielder’s choice, Chase Hartley singled and DeAndre Pitts reached on an infield error for the 5-0 lead.

Rehobeth answered with four runs in the third and another run in the fifth inning to knot the score at 5-5.

Pitts walked to lead off the bottom of the seventh inning, reached second on a sacrifice bunt by Hunter Reeves, stole third, and scored with two outs when a ground ball was hit to third but the throw pulled the first baseman’s foot off the bag for the 6-5 final.

Smartt was 3-for-4 in the first game, Hartley had two hits, while Lewis, Ingram, Pitts, Fleming and Bryson Gandy had one hit apiece.

Ingram worked 4.2 innings with Fleming earning the win in relief, pitching 2.1, allowing no runs on two hits.

In the second game, CHHS was the visitors and took a 5-0 lead as Lewis was hit by a pitch, Fox reached on a bunt single and Ingram launched a three-run homer to left field. Hartley followed with a single, Pitts walked and later scored on a two-RBI single by Gandy.

CHHS increased its lead to 8-0 on the second when Smartt reached on an error, Hartley hit a two-run homer, Pitts was hit by a pitch, stole second and scored on a single by Reeves.

 

Rehobeth scored one run in the second inning on a home run by Logan Palmer, and made it an 8-4 game in the third.

The Trojans added one run in the top of the fourth inning on a single by Hartley and an RBI double by Reeves to go up 9-4, but the Rebels answered with four runs in the bottom of the fourth inning and it was 9-8.

Fox doubled and scored in the top of the fifth inning for a 10-8 CHHS lead, with Hartley hitting a sacrifice fly to send Fox home from third.

The Trojans sent 13 batters to the plate in the top of the sixth inning to go up 19-8, as Reeves singled, Fleming, Gandy and Lewis laid down consecutive bunt singles, Fox and Smartt were hit by pitches, Ingram walked, Hartley singled, Pitts doubled and later scored for the 19-8 advantage.

Rehobeth went down fighting, scoring three runs in the bottom of the sixth on another home run by Palmer, and added three more in the bottom of the seventh inning for the 19-14 final.

Hartley was 5-for-5 in the second game with five RBI, Fox and Reeves had three hits each, Lewis, Ingram and Gandy had two hits apiece, while Pitts and Fleming each had one hit.

Cole Wilson, Hartley, Fleming and Reeves worked on the mound for the Trojans in the second game.

CHHS will travel to Mobile this upcoming Friday to take on St. Paul in the quarter-final round.