By Nick Nunn   
Staff Writer

The JV Diamond Dogs extended their perfect season by two games last week with an 8-4 win over Oconee and a 10-4 win over Salem, bringing their record to 6-0.
Morgan County struck first against Oconee. Max Wadsworth hit an RBI double in the top of the first to give the Dogs an early 1-0 lead.
Oconee responded by scoring two runs in the second and then two more in the fourth inning, while holding Morgan County scoreless through the fourth.
In the top of the fifth, the Dogs began producing runs again. With two men on base, Sam Couch hit a two-RBI triple to make the score 3-4.
Oconee’s pitcher walked the bases loaded in the top of the sixth inning and proceeded to walk Ross Gasque for a RBI base on balls.
Coming up with the bases still loaded, Sam Couch recorded two more RBIs for the night with a single to left field.
Still leading 6-4 in the seventh inning, Morgan County scored twice more on RBIs off the bats of Zach Howe and Maclane Zant. The final score of the game ended 8-4.
“I was proud of the way the boys battled back,” said JV coach Doug Connelly. “We hung with it.”
The game against Salem last Friday was a scheduled five-inning game.
Morgan County scored two runs in the top of the fifth on an RBI double by Ross Gasque, but Salem matched the Dogs’ output in the bottom of the inning, tying the score 2-2
In the second inning, however, Morgan County set a pace that Salem couldn’t keep up with. The Dogs scored one run in the second on a passed ball, before a combination of errors and an RBI double by Max Wadsworth brought an additional three runs home.
Salem kept the Dogs’ bats at bay until the fifth, when Morgan County came alive again, prompted by another run walked in by the opposing defense.
With one run home in the inning and the bases still loaded, Morgan County managed three more runs, bringing the score to 10-2 in the top of the fifth.
Although Salem earned two runs in the bottom of the fifth, they couldn’t muster the eight they needed to stay alive. Morgan County came out ahead 10-4.
Coach Connelly stressed the importance of “limiting our mistakes and taking advantage of others’ mistakes” after the Salem game, adding that he feels like the JV team has been able to do that all season so far.
The C-Team also wracked up another victory, beating Monticello’s JV squad 14-6.
Morgan County took a seven-run shutout into the bottom of the fifth, when they game up four runs and five walks.
In the sixth inning, the C-Team batted around the order, scoring another seven runs, which were answered by another two runs in the bottom of the inning, but, ultimately, Monticello couldn’t bring their deficit to more than 6-14 by the end of the game.
“Overall I felt we did extremely well in all phases of the game,” said C-Team coach Dusty Hawkins. “The team started the game focused and that set the tone for the whole game.”
The JV team played at home against Monroe Area on Tuesday, and the C-Team traveled to Eastside on Wednesday for their first game of the week. Today, the C-Team will be playing against Apalachee at home. Tomorrow, the JV squad will take on Alcovy at home.

Printed in the March 14, 2013 edition