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Press Release
from the Office of Public Relations
PEARL
RIVER COMMUNITY COLLEGE
Monday, May 9, 2005
Pearl River wraps season
with 10-2 loss to Copiah-Lincoln in regionals
Wildcats finish season
at 45-12 overall; upstart Wolves headed to Super Regionals
POPLARVILLE — Top-ranked Pearl River wrapped up its 2005 baseball season
here Sunday with a heartbreaking 10-2 loss to Copiah-Lincoln in the championship
round of the south Region 23 Division II Tournament.
PRCC, which finished the year with a school record 46-12 mark and a No.
1 ranking in the final NJCAA Division II poll, was pushed into the losers'
bracket with a 10-3 loss to the Wolves in Saturday's opening game; but
copped a berth in the championship round with a 7-1 victory to eliminate
LSU-Eunice in Saturday's nightcap.
The Wildcats trimmed the Wolves 4-3 in Sunday's first game to force a second
battle.
"Our guys did a great job all season long, but we just didn't get it done
today," said fourth-year PRCC head coach Jay Artigues. "But give Co-Lin
credit. They made the plays when they had to...we didn't."
Artigues, a former PRCC infielder who guided PRCC to regional and Central
District titles and a NJCAA Division II World Series berth in his first
year with the Wildcats in 2002, lauded his sophomores.
"Our sophomore guys were tremendous," he said. "They set the standard for
our freshman guys that will be back. They gave it an all out effort every
single day and were true leaders on and off the field. I congratulate Coach
(Keith) Case and his guys on winning the title. They did a tremendous job
today."
Case, a former Purvis High School head coach who is in his 13th season
with the Wolves, was obviously elated.
"It's really gratifying and humbling," Case said. "We were playing the
top-ranked team in the nation with one of the most talented line ups around.
I can't say enough about our players' efforts."
In Sunday's loss, PRCC grabbed an early 1-0 lead in the bottom of the first
off back-to-back one-out doubles by sophomores Bailey Hartel and Ryne Lovdahl;
but wouldn't manage another run until the bottom of the ninth.
Co-Lin immediately went to work at the plate and tied it up in the top
of the second when lead off batter Jody Britt reached on the first of seven
Wildcat errors in the game, then Garrett Jones singled. An out later, Scotty
Smith, who also picked up the win on the mound, scored Britt with a base
hit.
The Wildcats retaliated in the bottom of the frame when J.P. Moreaux and
Chris Stewart reached on two CLCC errors, but Grant Hogue hit into a double
play with the duo at first and third. The Wolves took the lead for good
in the top of the third when Xavier Qualls smashed a one-out single, stole
second, and scored from second off a throwing error.
PRCC's Richard Imhoff was thrown out at home to end the third and the Wolves
padded their lead in the top of the fourth. After Wildcat starter Rene
Ritchie put Jones and Smith on with singles, he exited the mound for Craig
Rodriguez with runners at first and third. The Ole Miss signee immediately
struck Ben Sandifer, then Jones stole home to make it 3-1. Rodriguez followed
with another strikeout for the third out.
The Wolves added four more runs in the top of the fifth when Britt's bases-loaded
sacrifice made it 4-1 before Jones and Matt Schexnayder reached on back-to-back
errors to add two more runs. Rodriguez relinquished the mound for Jacob
Smith at that point. A wild pick off throw to third scored Jones to put
Co-Lin up 7-1.
In the top of the sixth, Britt smashed a two-RBI double to push the Wolves'
lead to 9-1; then Qualls' RBI single in the eighth ended Co-Lin's scoring.
Pearl River left runners at first and third in the bottom of the eighth,
while the Wolves had runners and second and third when Qualls popped out.
PRCC added its final run when Keith Winstead walked with one out and scored
an out later off Imhoff's single.
Smith (7-4) picked up the win in going the distance, striking out one and
walking three; while Ritchie (3-2) was the loser in his three-and-one-thirds
innings on the mound. Rodriguez relieved in the fourth, Smith in the fifth,
and Justin Tucker the eighth.
The Wolves, who committed three errors in the game, smashed 13 hits. Williams'
three singles led the way, while Jones, Qualls, and Smith had two singles
each. Pearl River, on the other hand, managed only five hits with Hartel
and Lovdahl both cracking doubles and singles.
Co-Lin came within a whisker of sending Sunday's opener into extra innings
when PRCC catcher Winstead nailed courtesy runner Greg Ketchings at home
for the final out of the Wildcats' 4-3 victory to force a second game.
The Wolves trailed 4-1 in the bottom of the ninth when Williams led off
with a double and Britt followed with a single. A strikeout later, Jones
was hit by a pitch to load the bases before Sandifer reached on a fielder's
choice for a run, then Smith followed with a single for another score before
Ketchings was nailed at home by strong-armed Grant Hogue's brilliant throw
from centerfield.
Things were scoreless for the first four innings before the Wolves went
up 1-0 in the bottom of the fifth off a Joseph Langham single and and RBI
double by Josh Logan. Pearl River bounced back to take the lead in the
top of the sixth when Hartel walked and scored from first on a throwing
error to first to nail Lovdahl, who wound up on third following Hartel's
score. An out later, Martin Roark's sacrifice scored Lovdahl to make it
2-1.
Lovdahl led off the top of the eighth with a single, moved to second off
Donahue's sacrifice bunt, wound up on third off a passed ball, and scored
off Roark's single. Moreaux then lined out to CLCC second baseman Britt,
who quickly threw to first to nail Roark.
Co-Lin starter Lance Deville led off the top of the final frame by belting
Ritchie with a pitch who moved to second off Winstead's sacrifice bunt.
Designated hitter Chris Stewart reached on an error and wound up on second
to score Ritchie for PRCC's final run.
Moreaux paced PRCC's seven-hit effort with a double and a single, while
Hartel had two base hits. Co-Lin finished with eight hits, led by Logan's
double and single.
Bass (8-2) picked up the win in going the distance, striking out seven,
walking none, and hitting one batter; while Deville (4-3) was the loser.
He went the distance, striking out four, walking two, and hitting one batter.
Co-Lin now advances to the Central District Tournament in two weeks along
with north Mississippi regional winner Itawamba. The "Super Regionals"
will be played at St. Catharine, Ky., and will decide a berth in the World
Series the following week. |