The Dale Pirates’ hopes of winning their second consecutive Class A fall baseball championship was cut short when they dropped a 4-2 decision to Silo in the first round of the state tournament.
Dale Coach Eddie Jeffcoat said, “It was a good game. We had the bases loaded twice, once with no outs and scored only a single run, and the other time with two outs. Their third baseman made quite a play with a hard hit ball down the line. He was playing back and backhanded it and if he wasn’t, we’d scored at least two runs,” the coach added.
Ike Shirey pitched the entire game except for one out, and Jeffcoat praised his senior right hander saying, “He threw good.”
The Pirates finished the season 18-11.
“I’m really pleased with the season to see how our team improved the way we did,” Jeffcoat said. “In the fall, it’s really tough to make it to the state tournament.”
He noted, “I’m pleased with what we did. We really improved during the season. We had a really tough schedule, one of the toughest in the state,” he believes.
Jeffcoat pointed out, “Rarely did we play a team during the season that wasn’t in a state tournament.”
In the Spring, the Pirates once again will compete in Class 2A. “Absolutely, we are looking forward to the Spring,” he said.