Sat, May 17 2008
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By HARVEY SIMPSON
Dispatch Sports Editor
ASHBURN — The way Wilcox High coach Tim Harris has it figured, there’s only one explanation for his Patriots’ 6-5 loss Tuesday to current Region 2-A, Division A, leader Turner County.
“The baseball gods are angry with us; that has to be it,” a dejected Harris said as he thought back to the odd events that turned his team’s 5-3 lead with two outs in the last of the seventh into a gut-wrenching defeat.
Here’s what happened.
Wilcox ace Joel Barnard began the fatal frame by hitting the first three batters he faced which in itself is an oddity for a hurler known for good control.
Then came a strikeout and a sacrifice fly that made it 5-4. Needing only one out to retire the side, Barnard apparently got it when the next batter stroked a slow roller toward the Patriots’ first baseman.
Before the ball got to him, however, it hit a clump of dirt and after passing first base took a wild right turn into foul territory as the tying run scored.
As fate would have it, the next Rebel batter spanked a game-winning single.
“I’ve never seen anything like it as there’s no way in the world we should have lost this one,” lamented Harris whose squad now stands 4-5 overall, 2-3 in region play.
“A finish like this just negates the great pitching performance Nate (Moorhouse) gave us for five innings (during which he struck out eight, walked one and allowed just two runs and five hits).”
Earl;ier in the game Wilcox took a 2-0 second inning lead on Marcus Griffin’s homer that followed a double by Matt Studstill.
After Turner got one of those runs back in its half of the second, the Patriots tacked on two more third inning runs on RBI singles by Anthony Haire and Studstill.
Both teams got a run in the fourth, with the visitors’ coming on Corey Singeltary’s hit that came after Colton Farrow and Joel Greene had been hit by pitches. An error led to the Rebels’ run then.
A leadoff triple and a sacrifice fly brought Turner to within 5-3 in the sixth and set the stage for the odd finish.
“We’re not hitting well enough to win and that’s forcing our pitchers to have to be even sharper,” Harris said.
In jayvee play, Wilcox held a 12-4 lead when play was halted in the third due to a time limit.
The Wilcox varsity will play host Friday at 7 to Irwin County.
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