Jones' slam sparks KR win against Warriors
Second-inning blast by senior gives Cougars 4-0 lead on their way to a 6-1 victory.
Tuesday, May 13, 2008
SPRINGFIELD — In his last regular season game at Tom Randall Field, Kenton Ridge High School senior Zach Jones unleashed a monster grand slam he'll never forget.
In the bottom of the second inning, the left-handed hitter pulled an inside fastball from Northwestern High School pitcher Kyle Stephenson to right field and watched it sail 380 feet over the fence to give the Cougars a 4-0 lead they wouldn't relinquish.
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Zach Jones"We had to get something started against (Northwestern)," Jones said. "They're a really good team."
Jones, who will play at Ohio Northern University next season, said he's always been a pull hitter.
"That's usually where I hit home runs," Jones said. "It felt great."
Jones went 2-for-4 with a double, grand slam and four RBIs while teammate Matt Palmer went 2-for-3 as the Cougars beat Northwestern 6-1 in a Central Buckeye Conference game on Monday, May 12.
"We finally got a big hit," said Kenton Ridge coach Aaron Shaffer. "(Jones) got all of that one."
Kenton Ridge finished its regular season 16-5 and 12-4 in the CBC Kenton Trail, while Northwestern fell to 18-8 and 9-6 CBC Mad River.
Cougars Freshman Luke Mamer pitched six innings, giving up one run on six hits.
"I just wanted to get the seniors a win," Mamer said. "They're great. I wanted to send them out on a good note."
Mamer, who improved to 5-1 on the season, struck out one batter, the first of the game. He had nine ground ball outs and eight fly ball outs.
"I'm not overpowering," Mamer said. "I just try to keep the ball down and change speeds."
Northwestern limited the Cougars to four hits, but walked 12 batters. Both of Kenton Ridge's runs in the fifth and sixth innings came by walks and wild pitches.
"You can't walk 12 guys and expect to win a ballgame," said Northwestern coach Brent Parke. "That's the story for us today."
The Warriors still have a shot at a share of the CBC Mad River title. They need to beat Stebbins in their final league game, coupled with Benjamin Logan (10-4) losses to both Tippecanoe and Shawnee.
Contact this reporter at (937) 328-0365 or mcooper@coxohio.com.
