From staff reports

Senior Chaz Bowles has accomplished plenty during his prep career at Callaway High, but before Tuesday’s game against Lamar County, he’d never hit a home run.

He can cross that off his to-do list.

Bowles, a senior, delivered a two-run home run in the fourth inning that helped the Cavaliers get a big 8-7 Region 5-AA road win.

The Cavs (12-4 overall) remained in second place in the region with a 7-2 record.

“I was happy for (Bowles),” Callaway coach Dusty Hubbard said. “He’s really been working hard. The last couple of weeks, he’s earned himself more playing time. He’s swung the bat good at practice. His hit was huge. It guy our guys going, gut us back in the game.”

Bowles’ two-run shot cut Lamar County’s lead to 5-4, and the Cavaliers scored three runs in the sixth and one more in the seventh on a Kane Keith single to win it.

Sophomore relief pitcher Brew Parker pitched 3 1/3 dominant innings of relief to get the win.

In the bottom of the seventh, with the Cavs clinging to a one-run lead, Parker struck out the side and stranded a runner on third.

“Brew was good. He kind of saved us,” Hubbard said.

The Cavs fought from behind most of the game.

They were trailing 2-0 when they tied it with two runs in the third.

Bowles reached and Daniel Crowe reached on hits, and Dominique Smedley’s base hit brought in courtesy runner Hunter Heath with the first run. Crowe scored on a passed ball to tied it at 2-2.

The Trojans came right back and scored three runs in the top of the third, but Bowles answered in the top of the fourth with his home run, which came right after Tavin Thompson reached on a two-out error.

Again the Trojans responded, scoring two runs in the bottom of the fourth to push its lead to 7-4.

Callaway tied it in the fifth.

The Cavs loaded the bases when Parker and Thompson were hit by pitches and Keith reached on a single.

Crowe was hit by a pitch to bring in a run, and Smedley’s second RBI single of the game cut the Trojans’ lead to one.

Caleb Shelnutt tied it on an RBI groundout.

In the seventh, Chris Laye tripled, and Keith’s single brought him in with the go-ahead run.

It wasn’t a clean game by Callaway’s high standards, but Hubbard was still glad to get the win.

“We didn’t pitch very well, and we didn’t play very good defense,” Hubbard said. “We looked like a team that hadn’t played in a week, which we hadn’t. But we fought back and showed a lot of character.”

The Cavs will step out of the region to host Taylor County on Thursday at 5:30 p.m. before welcoming Jordan on Friday.

Friday will be a special day.

Chuck Stanfield, the former Callaway baseball coach who has been seriously ill the past year or so, will be the guest of honor during the game when the baseball complex will be named in his honor.

There will be a ribbon-cutting ceremony at 4 p.m., and after the game, a field dedication ceremony will be held.

The baseball facility will officially become the Chuck Stanfield Complex.

“I’m excited. Our kids are excited, and our faculty is really excited,” Stanfield said. “I think we’ll have a big crowd. All those people think a lot of coach Stanfield.”