Monday, March 08, 2010

Wildcats split with Saints
River picks up fourth victory of season in first game of doubleheader 6-3, then falls 8-3 to L.B. Wallace

    POPLARVILLE — Pearl River’s Wildcats split a pair of baseball match ups here Saturday with L.B. Wallace’s Saints (Ala.), taking an impressive 6-3 victory in the first game of the doubleheader before falling 8-3 in the nightcap contest.
    PRCC is now 4-11 overall with the split, while LBWCC, which is ranked No. 7 in the NJCAA Division II poll, is 12-6.
    In the opening game, the Wildcats went up 3-0 in the bottom of the first off a two-out RBI fielder’s choice by Zach Farrar of Brandon High and a two-run double by B.J. Smith of Sumrall High.
    PRCC padded its lead by one in the second when Bryn Whitehead of Sumrall High reached on a two-out error, Ashley Graeter of Poplarville High followed with an up-the-middle single, then Matthew Magee of Petal High cracked an RBI double to make it 4-0.
    After scoreless third and fourth frames, LBW commenced futile catch up in the top of the fifth with a solo homer by Daniel Shear over the left center fence, but Pearl River answered in the bottom of the frame. B.J. Smith drew a two-out walk, setting the stage for an RBI double to center field by Matt Linton of East Central High. Grae Orman of Clinton High followed with a base on balls, but was thrown out at second on an attempted steal for the final out of the inning.
    Graeter, the Wildcats’ starting pitcher, loaded the bases in the top of the sixth off two walks, a fielder’s choice, and a Jefrey Etheridge base hit; then belted Ryan Waltman with a pitch to push in a Saint run to make it 5-2 before hauling in Taylor Culbreth’s line drive for the third out.
    Whitehead led off the bottom of the inning with a blooper double to left field and scored off Graeter’s single to right.
    Shane Turner smacked a one-out homer for LBW in the bottom of the seventh.
    Chezz McCann and Waltman also had singles in the Saints’ five-hit effort.
    Graeter paced the Wildcats’ 10-hit attack with three singles (one RBI), while Linton doubled and singled (one RBI), Temple Harvey of Brandon High had two base hits, Magee (one RBI) and Whitehead both doubled, and B.J. Smith (two RBIs) and Farrar (one RBI) both singled.
    PRCC played error free in the game, while the Saints had one defensive miscue.
    In the nightcap, L.B. Wallace went up 2-0 in the top of the second off a two-run homer out of center by McCann, but Pearl River answered in the bottom of the frame when Magee led off with a single and Harvey belted a dinger out of left to tie it up.
    In the third, Saint lead off man Chad Helms reached on an error, stole second, then moved to third on a passed ball to set the stage for Cory Reed’s RBI double to center. Etheridge then singled in Reed to make it 4-2, which prompted the mound exit of Magee, the Wildcat starter, for Josh Hubble.
    Hubble, a freshman from Forrest County AHS, retired Waltman before loading the bases with a fielder’s choice, a hit batter, and a walk, but McCann grounded out to first base to thwart the threat.
    Pearl River scored its final run in the bottom of the fourth when Harvey cracked a one-out blooper single to left, stretching it out to second base, then scored off Linton’s base hit to make it 4-3.
    Sean Kelly of Pearl River Central relieved Hubble in the top of the sixth and had a Saint runner at third with two outs before Helms grounded out to second.
    In the top of the final inning, Reed led off with a single up the middle, moved to second off Etheridge’s sacrifice bunt, and scored off Waltman’s single. Jeremy Williams followed with a single to right, setting the stage for Shear’s towering three-run homer over the centerfield wall to make it 8-3.
    Saint starter Spencer Youmans (2-0) got the win in his three-and-two-thirds innings on the mound, striking out three; while Blake Hanson relieved in the fourth, striking out four, walking one, and hitting a batter.
    Magee (0-2) got the loss in his two innings of action, while hubble walked one and hit a batter in his two-and-one-thirds innings of relief. Kelly also hit a batter.
    Reed led LBW’s 12-hit attack with a double and two singles (one RBI), while McCann homered and doubled (two RBIs), Williams and Turner had two base hits each, Shear homered (three RBIs), and Culbreth and Waltman (one RBI) both singled.
    Pearl River finished with five hits, led by Harvey’s homer and single (two RBIs), while Jake Hawkins of Sumrall High, Linton (one RBI), and Magee all singled.
    PRCC committed one error in the game, while the Saints played error free.
    L.B. Wallace finished fourth in the 2009 NJCAA Division II World Series played last spring in Enid, Okla., and copped a No. 2 finish in the final 2009 NJCAA Division II baseball poll.
    Pearl River returns to action Sunday when it hosts Hibbing (Minn.) in a 2 p.m. doubleheader, then travels to Faulkner State in Bay Minette, Ala., Tuesday for a 1 p.m. twin bill.