South Pittsburg pitcher Jacob Toney
The coaching staff didn’t know if Matt Allen would be at his best. For that matter, South Pittsburg’s coaching staff didn’t know how well Jacob Toney could play or how long.
The two seniors gave it their best, and it was more than enough in the Pirates’ 13-2, five-inning baseball victory over District 6-A rival Lookout Valley.
Allen worked out the tender spots in his pitching elbow and delivered a two-hitter while No. 1 pitcher Toney continued his recovery from the flu by knocking in four runs in a 2-for-4 night that included a home run to near straightaway center field.
“The first couple of innings I struggled some. My timing was off a little bit,” said Allen, who got stronger and better as the game progressed.
He allowed a single in each of the first two innings and surrendered two earned runs in the second before settling in to throw no-hit ball the rest of the way. He struck out six, including the final three in the fifth.