SUMRALL – When the time comes for twin brothers Jojo and Jacob Parker to graduate from Purvis, Sumrall baseball coach Andy Davis said he would happily bestow them their diplomas.
That's understandable, given that the brothers wreaked havoc on the Bobcats on Tuesday night as they helped Purvis put up nine runs in the final two innings and come away with a 16-7 victory over their archrival.
"I'm ready for them to get on out of here," Davis said. "Both of them are baseball-smart and dogs."
In their 10 total at-bats, the Parkers reached base nine times, scored seven times, and stole four bases, with each also hitting a home run.
"It's been that way all year for the most part, especially with Jojo. His on-base percentage and walks have just been unbelievable.
On the game's second pitch, Jojo Parker hit a home run to give Purvis (13-4, 1-0) the lead that it never relinquished.
"Him leading off the game with a home run gives us energy," Jacob said of his brother. "He's our energy guy, so it helps a ton."
After the homer, the starting shortstop reached based on a throwing error and a pair of walks, with his lone out being a fly out, which required an over-the-shoulder catch from Sumrall's shortstop, Landon Hawkins.
"It's been that way all year for the most part, especially with Jojo," Farlow said. "His on-base percentage and walks have just been unbelievable."
Despite the final score, the game itself was back-and-forth until the fifth inning. After Jojo's homer, Ethan Walker hit an RBI single, but an RBI double by Hawkins in the bottom of the first made the score 2-1. Later in the third inning, Purvis' Hudson Walker came up with a 3-run triple after the ball went between the Bobcats' left fielder to push the score to 5-1.
Sumrall (9-6, 0-1) got runs back in the third and fourth after Will Raner and Braelyn Harrison hit back-to-back RBI singles, and later Leo Odom driving in a run on a fielder's choice to narrow the score to 5-4. However, the Tornadoes stayed comfortably ahead after scoring from a run on a wild pitch and a sac fly.
Jacob Parker then took over on the mound, but Harrison smashed a 2-run homer to keep the score a one-run game at 7-6. Yet Jacob's mistake was short lived as he returned the favor with a 3-run home run in the sixth to push the score to 10-6. Not once did Parker think about the mistakes he had on the mound as he stepped into the batter's box.
"I have to kind of settle on the mound," said Jacob Parker. "I have to kind of get used to the zone. I'm a different pitcher than I am as a hitter so it's a different mindset. I was just trying to put the ball in play.
"I saw a pitch down and I got my barrel to it and kind of flicked it over the fence. I really didn't get all of it so I didn't know, but it had enough so it was good. I'm just trying to get on base, steal bags and just get into position to score and just help my team win."
By the next inning, the Tornadoes' bats cut loose as they put up six more runs in the top of the seventh. By the end of the night, Jacob Parker reached base on every at-bat from a walk, hit by pitch and hit a pair of singles along with his homer.
"We never really panic," Jacob Parker said. "Our team has been through everything. We've been through run-rules and really everything so stuff like that we have great and disciplined hitters. We know we can only score.
"I would say this game is how we are defined as a team. We are a hitting team. We get up there and throw strikes and compete, but we are definitely a hitting team."
On the mound, Kade Lawler earned the win after allowing three earned runs off six hits while striking out seven batters and walking three in four innings of work. Jacob Parker struck out five batters, walked five and allowed three runs off two hits.
"That's the thing with Jacob; he can walk the bases loaded and then strike out three in a row to get out of it and hit a three-run home run," Farlow said. "(The Parkers) have been so big with the top of the lineup for us, and then we get to the end of the lineup that also contributes."
As for Sumrall (9-6), it's been a frustrating year. Since Davis has taken over the program, the Bobcats have lost at most seven games in a season. By the night's end, Sumrall stranded 12 runners on base and left them loaded twice.
"We've played well at times, and we've played bad at times," Davis said. "We had runners on in every inning which is a positive. When you score seven runs in a game, you expect it to be close. It got away from us there in the end with their hitters. You have to make a perfect pitch, or they are going to get a hit.
"I don't want to play our best baseball now. I don't want to peak right now. We just have to keep working."
Purvis will host Sumrall on Friday, with first pitch set for 6:30 p.m.
"Hopefully, we have a lot of baseball left to play against them," Farlow said. "They come to us on Friday, and that'll be a tough game. If we are both fortunate enough to make it to South State, we'll be matching up again."
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