Alexander hosted their first home game of the 2013 season Friday night against South Paulding. Seven innings was not enough baseball for the home crowd and neither was nine. The game went into the 11th inning where South Paulding managed to take advantage of a couple of infield hits and an error to push the winning run across the plate. Alexander (3-1) lost the hard fought game 3-2.

After a 1-2-3 first inning by both starting pitchers, South Paulding threatened in the top of the second, loading the bases on a Beavers hit by pitch, Godfrey walk, and Conley walk. With two outs, AHS’s Nick Wise struck out Patterson to end the threat.

Alexander took the lead in the bottom of the second. Andrew Smith reached on an infield single to short and Matt Washington followed with a shot to center, putting runners on first and third with two outs. Cole Weatherby stepped to the plate and singled to left, scoring Smith. AHS led 1-0.

South Paulding again loaded the bases in the top of the third with two outs. Mathews reached on a walk, Beavers singled and Tipton reached on a walk. Maxwell was then hit by a pitch, leading to a run. Wise struck out the next batter, ending the inning but not before SPHS tied the game at 1-1.

Alexander took the lead again in the bottom of the fifth inning. Austin Morris beat out and infield single and Stephen Kloser followed with another infield hit. Nick Wise then reached on a fielder’s choice at second but Morris scored on the play putting the Cougars up 2-1.

South Paulding wasted little time getting back into the game in the top of the sixth. Godfrey walked and Patterson reached on an infield error. Benson then doubled to left, scoring Godfrey to tie the game at 2-2.

Inning after inning went by as both offenses struggled to mount any type of momentum. The game went into extra innings, quickly moving through the eight, ninth and 10th.

In the top of the 11th, South Paulding took the lead. Patterson led off the winning with an infield single and then advanced to third on a poor pickoff attempt that resulted with an error on the pitcher. After a Benson groundout, Pendley had an infield single that scored Patterson.

Cody Worthy came up to the plate first for Alexander in the bottom of the 11th. He flew out to the right fielder. CJ Sparnell struck out swinging for the second out. Washington also struck out swinging, ending the game and giving AHS their first loss of the year.

Brian Dansereau took the loss on the mound, throwing the final five innings and allowing three earned runs off of five hits. He struck out four and walked three. Wise started the game and earned a no-decision after four innings of work. He allowed one earned run off of one hit, walking four, striking out four, and hitting two batters. Kloser threw the middle two innings, allowing one run off of one hit, walking two and striking out one.

Pendley took the win for South Paulding. He threw the final four innings, allowing no hits, no runs, striking out six, and walking two. Green earned a no-decision, throwing the first seven innings and allowing two runs off of seven hits. He walked two and struck out three.

Offensively, Alexander outhit South Paulding 7-5. Dansereau led the team with two hits and a run scored. Wise walked twice. Sparnell went 1-for-5 with a triple. No South Paulding batter had more than one hit.