Baseball | 4/1/2026 11:45:00 AM
CLINTON -- Despite facing a six-run deficit, the Clinton High School baseball team showed its resolve but could not complete its furious rally, falling to the Oxford Chargers, 7-6, in a MHSAA Region 2-7A contest Tuesday at Arrow Baseball Field.
The setback dropped the Arrows to 3-4 in region play and 12-8 overall.
Trailing 7-1 in the bottom of the fifth inning, Clinton mounted its comeback.
Chad Bates plated a run on a fielder's choice,
Stone Crain followed with a two-run double to center field, and Ethan Dotson singled off the pitcher's leg to bring the Arrows within two runs.
Clinton added another run in the seventh when
David Steelman lifted a sacrifice fly, but the Arrows were unable to bring home the tying run from third or the go-ahead run from second.
Walker Jackson steadied Clinton on the mound after a difficult opening frame, allowing just one run over 3 2/3 innings. The freshman right-hander scattered four hits, struck out three, and walked one.
Jake Bell and
Gage Temple combined to record the final nine outs. Temple's seven-out appearance was highlighted by his escape from a two-runner jame in the top of the sixth and a perfect seventh inning, striking out two of the three batters he faced.
Oxford scored six runs in the first inning, taking advantage of Robert Upchurch's RBI walk, Pryce Pinkins' grand slam, and Logan Dorrell's RBI double.
Wesley Warren delivered an RBI single in the third to cut Clinton's deficit to 6-1, but Oxford pushed its lead back to six runs in the top of the fourth.
Crain provided a spark in the middle of the lineup and led the Arrows at the plate with a 2-for-3 performance.
As of press time, the Arrows sit in fifth place behind fourth-place Madison Central, which is 12-9 overall and 4-3 in Region 2-7A, while Germantown stands at 16-8 and 5-2 in league play for the top spot. Clinton closes region action with a two-game series against Starkville, which is 15-8-1 overall and 5-3 in Region 2-7A after sweeping Murrah Tuesday at Smith-Wills Stadium in Jackson.
UP NEXT
Clinton travels to Oxford for the second game of the Region 2-7A series against the Chargers on Thursday, April 2, at Oxford High School.
