JV Cougars host preseason tourney at Ace Basin Complex

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The Colleton County Junior Varsity Cougar Baseball team hosted the inaugural Cougar Preseason JV Invitational this past week at the ACE Basin Sports Complex. Seven JV teams including Colleton County, Beaufort High School, Oceanside, Battery Creek, May River, Hilton Head and Bluffton participated in the three-day event.

The JV Cougars went 2-2 in the tournament, earning wins over Battery Creek (9-1) and Hilton Head (10-6) and falling to Oceanside (3-0) and Beaufort (17-1).

In game one against Oceanside, Cameron Farnsworth, Michael Ortiz and Trey Simmons each recorded one hit. “We did some great things in this game, especially having not practiced in over a week,” said Coach Jake Jacobs. “Defensively, we played really well. I was proud of our effort and attitude throughout the game and pleased with the style of play. We showed much improvement from last season. The guys were equally as amped to play after not having been on the field in over a week due to rain and field conditions.”

Against Beaufort in game two, Jabari Grant, Palmer Thomas and Cohen Crosby led at the plate with Grant also recording a stolen base. “This game was a big eye-opener for us,” said Jacobs. “We got down early and couldn’t recover. We played hard but couldn’t overcome key mistakes that led to big innings. We will learn from this game and be ready for the rest of the tournament.”

Saturday against Battery, Gabe Wolfe recorded the win on the mound allowing one run on four hits and striking out five across four innings of work. Trey Simmons led the way at the plate with two hits, while Grant, Austin Kitler, Palmer Thomas and Cohen Crosby each recorded one hit a piece. Thomas and Simmons both recorded doubles, while Grant and Simmons had 2-RBI’s. Dustin Hadwin and Crosby added an RBI each. Hadwin led with two stolen bases and Grant and Simmons had one each.

“I was very proud of the team during this game,” said Jacobs. “We did not let a 17-1 defeat get inside our head and rebounded well against Battery Creek. We were aggressive at the plate and attacked the baseball. We played fundamentally sound baseball and I could not be more impressed with the team after this game.”

In the final game of the tournament, the JV team fell behind early against Hilton head but rallied for the win. Grant earned the start and was relieved by Quarice Singleton who recorded the win. Key hitters were Ortiz, Dakota Dandridge, Crosby and Trey Simmons.

“This was a pivotal game for us,” said Jacobs. “I was really proud of the way the team did not give up after being down early. I challenged them in the middle of the first inning to find a way to claw back. We picked up two quick runs in the bottom and played solid defense to give us a chance at a comeback. The boys clawed their way back in the game and kept playing by attacking pitches and being aggressive on the base paths. I was extremely proud of their will and their want to win. I can’t say enough about this team and am looking forward to what the season holds for us.”

The JV Cougars were scheduled to host Fort Dorchester Tuesday March 10 at the ACE Basin Sports Complex then travel to the Patriots on Thursday March 12.