WHS rallies around teammate to drop Cavs

Sara Reid — Special to the Weakley County Pres

WHS rallies around teammate to drop Cavs | Westview, Alex Parham, Chargers, Martin, Tennessee

Injured — Westview junior Alex Parham, here squaring to bunt earlier this season, was injured when he was hit in the face by a pitch playing against Crockett County on Tuesday. Parham's Charger teammates rallied behind him and picked up a win. File phot
Defeated one night earlier by the same group of Cavaliers, the Westview Chargers rallied around an injured teammate and held off a late Crockett County comeback to tally a 5-4 win Tuesday afternoon in Martin.
In the bottom of the first inning, junior Alex Parham was hit in the face by a pitch, which did some devastating damage and forced him to leave the game and the park in order to seek medical assistance. The Chargers came together and finished the job to get the win.
Westview head coach Brian Allen was impressed with how his squad reacted to the severe injury their teammate suffered.
“After my kids seeing that and rallying around Alex, (it was) one of the most courageous things I have ever seen. The kids stuck together, especially after Monday’s loss and other injuries,” Allen said. “They could have given up very easily after Monday. Our team has been there for one another all year. The people of Martin should come out and see the Charger baseball team play and thanks to the people who have come out and supported us all year.”
The Cavaliers were first to score and picked up a hit and a base runner on a walk. A ground ball drove in the run and put the visitors up 1-0, but Westview was ready with an answer.
Adam Garner led off with a double and Bryant Fisher singled. Madison Hughey singled and Adam Garner came in to score on a wild pitch to tie the contest, 1-1. Continuing the scoring, Tyler Turner singled to drive in Hughey and Bryant Fisher and put the Chargers ahead 3-1.
Chris Fowler walked and Travis Garner was hit by a pitch to load the bases, but Westview’s next run proved to be a very costly one. Parham took a hard pitch to his left eye and nose and had to leave the game. The inning ended with the Chargers holding a 4-1 lead.
Both offenses stalled in the second inning, but the Cavs opened the third with two walks and a single to load the bases. Another walk brought home a run and another run was scored when a Crockett County batter was hit by a pitch. With the lead cut to 4-3, Fowler was sent in to pitch for Bryton Ramsey and the Chargers turned a double play to end the inning.
Westview tacked on another run in the fifth inning when Turner singled and stole second base. A Fowler ground ball advanced Turner to third and he was driven home on another WHS hit to give the Chargers a 5-3 lead. Turner’s run proved to be the difference in the game.
The Cavs opened the top of the sixth with a walk and cut the lead to 5-4 and in the top of the seventh, the visitors loaded the bases, but the home team pulled a game-saving double play to hold on to the one-run victory.
Fowler picked up the mound win in relief.
At the plate, Turner was a perfect 3-for-3 with two runs and two RBI. Adam Garner went 2-for-3 with a run scored and a double. Bryant Fisher had the only other WHS base hit.
In Monday’s game at Alamo, the Cavs rallied with three runs in the bottom of the seventh for a 6-5 win over Westview.
The Chargers scored a lone run in each of the first four five innings and led 5-2 heading into the bottom of the sixth.
Crockett County cut into the WHS lead by plating two runs in the sixth and went on to take the 6-5 win in its final at-bat.
At the plate for Westview, Alex Parham, Travis Garner, Madison Hughey and Bryant Fisher each had two base hits. Hughey and Parham both legged out a double in the game.
Senior Bryant Fisher went the distance on the mound for the Blue and Gold and was tagged with the loss. However, only half of Crockett County's six runs were of the earned variety as the Charger defense committed three errors in the field.