CRESTVIEW — Spring break, such as it is, got off to a good start for Crestview High School’s baseball team Monday.
Ryan Weekley threw a complete game, two-hit shutout and Corey Armstrong went 3-for-4 at the plate to lead the Bulldogs to a 6-0 win over Monroe Academy Ala.
No Volunteer base runner made it safely past second base. And only three runners advanced to second, one on back-to-back Bulldog errors. Weekley finished the game with four strikeouts.
“I think that’s a good baseball team over there,” Bulldog Coach Tim Gillis said of Monroe Academy. “They won a state championship last year in Alabama and they didn’t graduate a lot of guys. You can tell they are well-coached and that made it tough.
“We had a couple of big hits. Corey got a couple and Dayne (Justice) got a big hit there in the first. Ryan was really, really good, he battled all night long and gave us a chance and we need enough plays behind him to win it.”
Crestview (9-6) took control of the game in the first inning. Zach Degraaf walked to lead off the game, but was retired at second when Bryant Berry bunted into a fielder’s choice.
Armstrong followed Berry with the first of his three singles as he sent a hard grounder through the right side of the Monroe Academy infield. Dayne Justice cleared the bases with a triple to left-center field. Justice scored on a Volunteer throwing error that went into the Bulldog dugout.
B.A. Larkins walked and Alik Whited was hit by a pitch to start the Crestview second. Berry walked with one out to load the bases and Armstrong singled up the middle to score Larkins and Whited.
Armstrong finished off his big day in the fourth inning with a single to score Berry. Berry reached on a walk and stole second base to move into scoring position for Armstrong.
Armstrong, a senior shortstop, accounted for half of Crestview’s six hits. Berry had an infield single in the sixth inning and Colter Hancock singled in the fifth.
“Corey has been really good over the course his career here,” Gillis said. “He’s been consistent and he does it all the time. He’s just a tough out and just great competitor.
“Right now he’s just in a zone and I hope he can stay in it all year.”
Crestview’s defense was spotty at times committing four errors, but the Bulldog defenders came up with big stops when needed.
The Bulldogs turned three double plays.
A potential threat by Monroe County in the first inning was slowed by the first, and less traditional, of the three double plays.
Griffin McKenzie walked to lead off the game for the Volunteers and stole second base. Dalton McKenzie was out on a fly ball to Bryant in center field. Bryant made a strong throw that almost got away from Larkins at third.
An alert Weekley did his job and covered third base to retired Griffin McKenzie as he tried to take the extra base. That was as close as the Volunteers got to scoring.
The Bulldogs turned traditional double plays in the fifth and seventh innings. The seventh inning double play ended the game just 92 minutes after Weekley threw the first pitch.
“It’s all about competing in the moment,” Gillis said. That’s what we are going to keep telling those guys to do. I’m proud of this group.
“We’ve got a long ways to go, but I’m proud of them.”
This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: Crestview's Weekley shuts down Monroe Academy