As the sun set on a hot summer day on the 28th of June the Quitman High School baseball field was a cool place to be. With fans packing the stands and lined up along the fence on both baselines, the sounds of baseballs coming in contact with aluminum bats, leather mitts popping, and a good bit of smack talk echoed throughout as over 30 former players took part in the first annual QHS Alumni baseball game.

Three teams (Blue, Gold, White) of Quitman baseball alumni, with graduation years ranging from 2002 up to 2025, played a spirited 7-inning game that was formatted so that 2 teams played each inning with the third team sitting out on a rotational basis until the 7th, when all 3 teams had a chance to bat as well as play defense.

The contest that was designed to raise money to help offset costs of the upcoming 2026 baseball season began with the Blue and Gold team taking the field. Bradley Koonce immediately brought back memories of his dominance as a QHS hurler back in 2019 by striking out the side for his “Gold” team. That set the stage for Cason Womack (2019) doing what he did so many times as a leadoff hitter for the Wolverines by reaching 1st on an error, advancing to 3rd base on a pair of gound ball outs and then scoring on a passed ball to give the Gold team an early advantage. 

The White team then took the field against the Blue with Joshua Smith (2021) striking out all three batters he faced. Dennis Robertson, from the class of 2002 and one of the elder statesmen in the contest, reached the hard way by taking a pitch from Logan Willis in the back but was gunned down by catcher Jake Potts (2025) attempting to steal.

Pitching stayed in the forefront as the contest moved to the third inning as Smith struck out two more and Koonce, who finished with 7 strikeouts in two innings K’d four in the frame, after Dakota Johnson (2012) reached first on a dropped third strike call. 

The fourth inning featured recently named Junior College All-American, Ty Simonelli (2022), taking the mound for the Blue team. Brandon Joyner (2011) of the Gold team opened by coaxing a walk but was thrown out attempting to advance on a passed ball by Logan Willis (2014). Noah Vail (2021) and Womack walked to load the bases, but Simonelli escaped the jam with a strikeout of Wade Shoemaker (2004). Pete Simonelli (2024) then took the hill to get the Blue team out in order, including getting big brother Ty on a soft liner to shortstop that evened the score for the brothers with each getting the other out.

That set the stage for the fifth inning that produced the first earned runs of the day. After Zach Duck (2012) retired the White team, John Raegan Hasley (2024) stroke a single and scored on a single by Potts. Zach Duck (2012) followed by knocking in Potts giving the Blue team their first two runs of the game. The 2024 LHSAA State Tourney Most Outstanding Player, Ian Tilley, then came on in relief to end the inning with the score being Blue 2, Gold 1, White 0.

The Gold team took a 3-2-0 lead in the sixth inning as Koonce tripled and scored and both Mason Miller (2020) and Logan Ponder (2024) had RBI’s. The Blue team threatened to tie when Riley Hayes (2018) and Ty Simonelli singled but Pete Simonelli, who finished with 6 K’s, struck out the side to end the threat. 

The White team made a late charge in the 7th inning when Dakota Johnson (2012) and Wade Williams (2014) opened with a walk and single before both scored on an errant pickoff throw. Smith and Tilley doubled and singled respectively then  gave the White team a 4-3-2 lead when they scored after Robertson reached base for he third time in the contest on an error. Luke Morgan, who currently plays for Louisiana Christian University, followed with a double off the wall in center field but Robertson was deemed out for missing third base to bring the at bat to a close. 

With the tiebreaker established as run differential, the Gold team would bat in the bottom third of the inning, needing only to score one run to win. Walks to Joyner, Pete Simonelli and Womack loaded the bases. After Hunter Alexander (2020), who had come on as a pinch runner for Joyner was thrown out at the plate attempting to steal home, Simonelli scored on a wild pitch to give the Gold team the victory. 

To view the contest in its entirety, click here or go to https://youtu.be/w4nllZGIEHw