By Concepcion Ledezma Riverbend News
At last, the season-opener came to pass.
Chandler Howard and his Hamilton County teammates endured the frustration of two canceled games due to inclement weather.
When the season finally got underway for the Trojans, it was taken out on host Branford.
Hamilton County officially started the season by exploding for a 5-0 first-inning lead; it eventually grew to 6-0 in the second inning.
The Trojans later tried to protect a 9-5 advantage. Branford, instead, tied the game at 9-9 in the sixth. Hamilton eventually retook the lead, thanks to a Branford fielding blunder, for a 10-9 victory on Friday, Feb. 19 over Branford, who was playing its home opener.
"We did everything we could to lose this game," a relieved Trojans coach Chris Howard said after the game.
Despite the gutsy efforts of both starting pitchers – Trojans junior Chandler Howard (four innings, six strikeouts, two walks) and Buccaneers senior J.J. Challou (3.2 innings, five strikeouts, six walks) – the game was marred with sloppy defensive plays. The teams combined for nine errors while Branford (0-2) outhit the Trojans 9-8.
"There were plenty of unearned runs out there," the Trojans coach said.
Hamilton County scored the eventual winning run -- unearned, of course -- in the top of the seventh when Devin Cherry (lead-off single) scored after Branford failed to convert on a second-to-short-to-first double play. The shortstop's throw sailed into the first-base dugout, allowing Cherry to reach home plate.
The game started promising for the Trojans, who reached the Class 1A FHSAA regionals two seasons ago. Hamilton County sent all nine batters to the plate in the first inning to build a 5-0 lead before even taking the field for the first time in the season.
"It was great to get those runs across in the first inning," said Chandler Howard, the coach's son who verbally committed to Jacksonville University as a catcher. He finished two for three at the plate with two runs scored.
"(The first inning output) gave us a great energy boost for the whole night," Chandler Howard said. "We kept that energy going throughout the whole game and didn't let the errors affect us."
The Bucs helped out with their poor fielding, committing three errors in the first inning. Hamilton County's Julian Garcia led off with a walk, stole second, then advanced home when Chandler Howard's single rolled between the right fielder's legs.
Howard later scored on a passed ball. Jerrell Tolle and David Gause followed with back-to-back RBI singles. Gause, who went two for four at the plate with three stolen bases, later scored on a two-error play.
The Trojans added one in the second when Julian Garcia, who led off with a single, advanced home following an error at third base.
With a six-run cushion to start the game, the anticipated blowout didn't happen. Instead, the Bucs managed to rally behind the bats of J.J. Challou and his twin brother Jeff, both recent Suwannee High transfers.
The brothers combined for three hits, three runs-batted-in and two stolen bases from the number two and three spots, respectively, in the Branford batting order.
J.J. Challou's RBI single in the second made it 6-3. His teammate Clay Williams had earlier hit a two-run double to put Branford on the board.
The teams traded two runs before Hamilton County stretched its lead to 9-5 when Trayson Rodgers was credited with an RBI on a ground-out to second, scoring Gause, who had reached third base on a Caleb Deas sacrifice bunt.
Branford answered by scoring the next five runs in the game, highlighting the comeback with a four-run rally in the sixth. This time, it was Hamilton hurting its own cause with two errors. The game was tied at 9-9 when Nick Lanier's sacrifice fly to right, scored Seth Heiderman, who earlier reached base on a dropped pop fly ball at first base.
But Hamilton had one more run left in them to spoil Branford's home opener.
Hamilton County's Jackson Smith, a sophomore at Corinth Christian Academy, earned the victory in relief. After giving up the game-tying sacrifice fly, he pitched two scoreless innings. He faced a first-and-second threat, but got J.J. Challou to fly out to centerfield to end the game.
"There were mistakes we should correct," Coach Howard said, adding however that he was encouraged by Smith's efforts. "He did a good job (handling the pressure). He wanted to be out there. He said to me, 'Give me the ball, Coach.' "
On Friday, HCHS improved to 4-0 as Howard threw a no-hitter at Lafayette. He struck out 11 without walking a batter. The score was 10-0.