Ponies out in two; recruiting started
The Panola Watchman
5/13/08

MT. PLEASANT – Some teams are wed to left coast small ball, but apparently not San Jacinto.

It didn’t make the Region XIX south zone champions any difference where the ball flew over the fence, just so long as it didn’t touch anything on the way out.
San Jac jacked four from spacious Eagle Field here Saturday and thumped Panola, 11-4.

The first was grand slam in the third to erase a 2-2 tie. Three were hit in the fifth to account for all five of the insurance runs. It was the first game of the Region XIV baseball tournament, an eight-team, double elimination event that ended for the Ponies Sunday when Wharton beat Panola, 8-7.

The Ponies took a 2-0 lead against San Jac in the opening stanza. Jared Myrick was safe on an error and Cody Rogers walked before Travis Reagan singled and Mason Denson hit a sacrifice fly.

In the third, San Jac tallied six with three walks and four hits and after Panola scored one in the fifth on an error and a single by Brandon Choate, the lads from Pasadena unloaded with three bombs for five runs. A solo homer by Choate in the seventh ended scoring.

Choate was 2-for-5, Myrick 2-for-4, Reagan 1-for-4 and Rocky Calhoun went 1-for-5 for the Ponies at bat.

In the Sunday game, Panola was almost a carbon copy of itself in the early going, especially the first when it scored twice. Myrick and Rogers both walked. Myrick advanced on a passed ball and scored on an infield out by Travis Reagan. Mason  Denson hit a sacrifice fly for the other RBI. Rogers walked in the third, advanced on a passed ball and scored on a hit by Denson. Choate singled and the Ponies had four runs. Myrick belted a solo homer in the fourth.

Finally, Myrick singled, Rogers was hit by a pitch and Denson slashed a two-run triple before the Ponies wrapped up their 2008 campaign. Myrick was 2-for-5, Rogers 1-for-2, Reagan 1-for-4, Denson 2-for-4 and Choate went 1-for-4 for Panola.

“We played fairly well, we just didn’t get many hits,” Shelton said afterwards.
“We’re already into recruiting and things are going to be better after we have a chance to find what we want.” Shelton’s been there, done that and is steadily gaining followers everywhere he goes.