Minden’s Trace Francis
Blake Branch/Press-Herald
Griffith Stadium was the place to be for baseball fans Saturday, as Minden and Lakeside took part in the Minden Jamboree to officially begin baseball season in Webster Parish.
Six teams took part in the jamboree and fans were out in full force to see their schools take the field. Calvary and Northwood started the action at noon, followed by Lakeside against Southwood at 2 p.m. while Minden and Evangel faced off in the finale.
After Calvary took a convincing win over Northwood, Lakeside took the field against Southwood and looked like a well-oiled machine in defeating the Cowboys 6-0 in six innings.
The Warriors sent righty Brayden Jones to the mound. Jones
Lakeside’s Brayden Jones.
Blake Branch/Press-Herald
pitched five strong innnings, giving up no runs. Tanner Page came in to finish off the game in the sixth. Jake Gray had two singles and an RBI to lead Lakeside at the plate, while Jones went 1-3 with two RBIs. Tanner Page, Logan McIver, Josh Prince and Jayke Stewart added hits for the Warriors.
The Warriors will begin the regular season Thursday in the North DeSoto tournament in Stonewall.
In the finale, Minden fell to Evangel 5-2 in front of the largest crowd of the day.
The Crimson Tide fell behind 2-0 in the first inning due to what can only be called first-game jitters, but settled in and trailed 2-1 entering the fourth inning.
Evangel added some insurance in the fourth and Minden failed to answer.
Trace Francis took the mound for Minden and pitched well in his four innings of work. Clint Ray and Justin McCready finished in relief of Francis, pitching well but allowing a few runs to a stout Eagles’ lineup.
Next up for the Tide is their first regular season game, Thursday in the North DeSoto tournament.