By By BRUCE HIXON – Sports Editor
T.R. Miller junior shortstop Baxley Raines was one of 16 players elected for the second round of the Alabama Lions Club East-West All-Star Series held at Jefferson Davis Community College Saturday.
Raines had a double and a triple for the East team in game one. The West team won that game 6-2. Game two ended in a 7-7 tie. Raines was hitless in two at-bats in that game.
W.S. Neal junior outfielder Justin Smith was not among those selected for the second round, but was selected along with Robertsdale's Matt Morgan as an alternate for this weekend's competition. Smith had a stolen base in game one, but was injured on the play and did not return.
T.R. Miller juniors Allen Williams, Becker Denton and Mackie Jackson also competed for the East team.
Williams pitched one and one-third innings in game two. He was touched for four runs on four hits with one strikeout. Denton was hitless in three at-bats with a walk. Jackson took the loss in game one. He pitched three innings and allowed three runs on five hits with two strikeouts. Jackson had a single and reached on an error in his two plate appearances.
In addition to Smith, Spencer Williamson and Whitney Qualls represented W.S. Neal on the east team. Williamson had one at-bat on the day, which was an RBI fielder's choice in game two. Qualls pitched three innings in game two where he allowed three runs on five hits with two strikeouts. He added a single in his lone plate appearance in game one.
Four other players from Escambia County schools also competed, all for the West.
Flomaton's Dannon Lisenby threw a scoreless inning in game two and Clay Simpson had a single in game two. Escambia County's Chris Frost walked and scored in game one, while Alvin Simmons picked up an RBI in game two.
In addition to Raines, players selected to represent the Brewton area in the second round include Foley's Brent Gillen, Dexter Francis and Nathan LaGarza, Daphne's Dane Swearingen and Buck Buckelew, Robertsdale's Dakota Bodree and Matt Morgan, Fairhope's Ryan Harrison, Cody Bishop and Cory Luckie, Andalusia's Johnny Jernigan, Robertsdale's Zach Comstock, Byron Williams, Robbie Boswell, Chris Davis and Michael Prestwood, and Florala's Tyler Rasberry.
Three games will be played in Saturday's second round, which will also be played at JDCC. Play gets underway at 10 a.m. when the Brewton area plays the Mobile area. The Enterprise and Jackson areas will square off at approximately 1 p.m. Sixteen players from those two games will be selected for the day's final contest at approximately 4 p.m. Sixteen players will be selected from the final game to represent the south in the state tournament June 3 in Birmingham.