FDA’s JV baseball team traveled to Wilcox Academy earlier this month for a four-team tournament where they defeated Marengo Academy 2-1 in the opening game before continuing on and winning the tournament.

The Eagles threatened early in the top of the first, with Skylar McKeown’s triple and Connally Walters being hit by a pitch, but they both were stranded on base.

Charlie Scofield shut down the Longhorns in the bottom of the inning and the game settled into a pitchers’ duel.

Marengo struck first with their leadoff batter doubling in the second inning and scoring on a passed ball.

Fort Dale answered in the third inning with David Miller’s single, Brandon Matthews’ walk and Ryan Taylor reaching base on an error that Miller scored on.

The Eagles struck again in the fourth on Chip Taylor’s double, a run-producing single from Miller and another single by Matthews. McKeown contributed a single in the fifth inning.

Scofield pitched three innings before Mckeown came on to preserve the 2-1 victory.

In the second game, the Eagles squared off against Monroe Academy.

Monroe started the scoring with one run in the first inning. Fort dale responded with two of their own in the bottom of the first on Matthews’ walk, McKeown’s single and several passed balls.

After that, McKeown shut the Volunteers down and walked away with the second 2-1 win of the tourney.

Taylor continued with a hot bat and had two singles for the Eagles.

Fort Dale faced the Monroe Academy Volunteers again in the championship game and started off early in the top of the first when Matthews walked, McKeown was hit by a pitch, and Connally Walters drove both in with a single.

Several pitches later, Scofield hit a single to drive in Walters.

Walters started on the mound, but promptly gave up three runs to Monroe in the bottom half of the inning.

FDA’s lone hit in the second was Matthews’ double.

Cody Tesmer came on to pitch in the second and Monroe gained the lead with a run on an error. McKeown hit a leadoff triple in the third and scored on Tesmer’s sacrifice.

Monroe scored again in the third to take a short-lived lead of 5-4.

The top of the fourth saw Walters drive in three more runs with a bases-loaded double and score on Scofield’s single.

McKeown came on to pitch in the fourth and shut down Monroe the rest of the game.

In the top of the fifth, Fort Dale added four insurance runs when Matthews was hit by a pitch, Ryan Taylor drove Matthews in with a single, Mckeown’s double drove in Taylor and Walters’ double drove in McKeown.

Scofield then drove in Walters with a single to give Fort Dale the 12-5 win and the tournament championship.

The FDA JV baseball team’s next game was a home contest against Pike Liberal Arts Academy last Tuesday night.

Pike jumped out with four runs in the top of the first and the Eagles could not score in the bottom half.

Pitcher Skylar McKeown shut Pike down in the second, and Fort Dale responded with a run as Cody Tesmer was hit by a pitch, and Charlie Scofield and Chip Taylor both drew walks.

The Patriots got two more runs in the third to take a 6-1 lead.

In the bottom of the third Ryan Taylor walked, McKeown doubled and Cody Tesmer drew a walk with Taylor scoring a run.

In the fourth, Pike pushed across three more runs and Fort Dale got four scores on Hunter Hamm’s walk, James Burkett’s walk, Brandon Matthews’s run-producing single and Ryan Taylor’s walk.

McKeown then hit a double to drive in Burkett and Matthews.

Cody Tesmer grounded out to the second baseman, scoring Taylor, and the Eagles were right back in it, trailing 9-5.

Unfortunately it was “Katy, bar the door“ in the fifth as Pike scored seven times to put the game out of reach.

The Eagles mounted a late rally in the sixth, with Joshua Hamm walking, Dylan Jones reaching base on an error, McKeown singling and Connally Walters singling.

Fort Dale scored four runs, but it was too little, too late, as they went down in defeat 16-9.

“Nine errors will beat you every time,” said head coach Jason Taylor. “But we did get a chance to play everyone tonight and some of our reserves really contributed.”

The Eagles will travel to Lowndes Academy next Tuesday for a doubleheader that will finish out the regular season.

FDA’s record now stands at 8-4.