By Jeff Devine, Dale County Chronicle
MONTGOMERY — The Ariton High School Purple Cats broke open a tight contest with a massive eighth-inning surge, clawing past Saint James, 12-3, on Monday in a game that remained closely contested until the final innings.
Head coach Bob Pickett described the matchup as a hard-fought battle throughout. “It was a very good ball game — a great pitchers’ battle,” Pickett said. “We threw our top guy Easton Kilpatrick. He was lights out.”
Kilpatrick delivered a strong outing on the mound, keeping Ariton within striking distance while working 6.2 innings, allowing two runs on five hits, and striking out seven. According to Pickett, Kilpatrick also worked out of early trouble, stranding runners after back-to-back doubles to open an inning.
Offensively, Brodie Lowery paced the Purple Cats, finishing 3-for-5 with a double and multiple key hits in the later innings, helping ignite an offense that came alive when it mattered most.
The game remained tight deep into the contest. Saint James struck first in the sixth inning when Charlie Cutler delivered an RBI double. Ariton responded in the seventh, taking a 2-1 lead on a clutch two-RBI single from Bryce Odom.
“Bryce Odom came up and had a huge two-RBI single for us to take the lead in the top of the seventh,” Pickett said.
The Trojans answered in the bottom half of the inning, as Wilson Aman’s base hit tied the game at 2-2. Cutler then gave Saint James a brief edge in the eighth with a solo home run to left field, but that momentum quickly disappeared as Ariton erupted in the top half of the inning.
The Purple Cats sent a wave of batters to the plate and capitalized on both timely hitting and disciplined at-bats. Addison Senn drove in two runs with a single, while Odom, Conner Davidson, Hayes Hammock, and Pierce Gill each worked bases-loaded walks to force in runs. Lowery added to his big night with a two-run single, and Wells Ganey capped the rally with a two-run hit as Ariton piled up 10 runs in the frame.
Senn earned the win in relief, allowing just one hit and one run over 1.1 innings while striking out four.
“Addison Senn came in and got the win, striking out four on the mound and also delivered a single to go ahead in the top of the eighth to put us up for good,” Pickett said.
Saint James starter Jimmy Dickens held Ariton hitless through three innings, but the Trojans’ bullpen struggled to contain the Purple Cats late. Reliever Michael Hassell was tagged with the loss after surrendering multiple runs during the decisive eighth inning.
Ariton finished with nine hits and showed patience at the plate, drawing seven walks. The Purple Cats also played a clean defensive game without committing an error, with Ganey leading the way defensively.
Cutler led Saint James offensively, going 2-for-4 with two RBIs, while Aman also recorded a pair of hits.
With the win, Ariton builds momentum heading into its next matchup, as the Purple Cats are set to travel to Pike Road on Friday.
A player from St. James during Monday’s game in Montgomery. All photos included above are courtesy of Ganey Photography.
