By Gary Lloyd
CLAY — Clay-Chalkville scored three runs in the fourth inning and held on to beat visiting Pinson Valley 5-3 to win the Jefferson County Baseball Tournament on Saturday night.
Clay-Chalkville sophomore Thomas Johns pitched a complete game, earning the win by allowing just two earned runs on three hits. He didn’t allow a hit after the second inning.
Senior left fielder Braxton Parvin was 3-for-3 with two RBIs for the Cougars (10-3). Senior center fielder Darius Baldwin had a sacrifice fly and junior right fielder Matthew Calvert got an RBI when he grounded into a double play in the fourth inning. Senior catcher Josh Jackson had an RBI single in the fourth inning.
Clay-Chalkville senior outfielder Braxton Parvin
file photo by Ron Burkett
“It means a lot (to win),” Clay-Chalkville head coach Bubba Roberts said. “They get a lot of confidence that we may not have had. It’s one championship that we’ve won this year that we’ve played for.”
Junior Hunter Davidson took the loss for Pinson Valley (8-4), giving up five runs on 11 hits in 4 1/3 innings pitched. Junior Jacob Brown had a two-run single in the second inning that scored Brett Jordan and Brent Stephens.
Pinson Valley head coach Shane Chappell said his team, which had won eight straight games, has a lot to do to get better. He said the team “just didn’t execute” against Clay-Chalkville.
“If you do that against good teams, you get beat,” he said.
During the tournament, Clay-Chalkville earned wins over Shades Valley, Hueytown, Center Point, Pleasant Grove and Pinson Valley. Pinson Valley defeated Gardendale, Minor, Mortimer Jordan and McAdory.
Contact Gary Lloyd at news@trussvilletribune.com and follow him on Twitter @GaryALloyd.
