Randolph County wins game three at home
July 24th, 2007 Posted in American Legion baseballNot looking to go down three games to zip in a best of seven series, Randolph County Legion (photos and video highlights) came out at home and scored early and often to win 8-5 over South Rowan Legion (photos, videos, statistics, roster, StarCards), cutting South Rowan’s third round playoff series lead to 2 - 1.
The scoring got started in the second inning as Randolph got two runners on base one by error and the other coming from a single. Justin Yow stepped to the plate with one out in the inning and belted a three run home run over the left field fence to break up the scoreless affair in a big way. Randolph has seen what South Rowan’s offense was capable of in the first two games and scored again in the third inning. Brent Young hit a double, which was followed by a single from Neil Pritchard. With two guys on, Ethan Marsh came to the plate and roped a double into left center scoring Young from third, although a great CF Justin Lane to SS Matt Ingold to cather Jonathon Basinger relay kept Pritchard from scoring from first, making the score 4 - 0 in favor of Randolph County.
Randolph County starting pitcher Steven Davis started to lose control in the fifth inning. Pitching with a four run lead, Davis gave up a single to Ryan Bostian, and then proceeded to walk the next three hitters bringing in the first run for South Rowan. That was followed by double from Chase Deal that brought home two to make the score 4-3. Travis Lore was brought in to relieve Davis and he got out of the inning and minimized the damage to keep the score 4-3. Davis finished with four and two thirds innings pitched giving up five hits and three runs while striking out six.
After giving up some runs early, South Rowan’s starting pitcher CJ Neal settled down to keep his team in the game but Randolph’s offense seem to be too much on this night. Randolph got another run off Neal in the sixth inning to extend their lead to 5 - 3 when Ethan Marsh hit a single and then was driven in by a double coming off the bat of Josh Hahn. South Rowan got that run back in the seventh when Daniel Wagner led off the inning with a single, and Basinger followed with a single up the middle to set the table. Having two runners on with no out, Brett Huffman puts down a sacrifice bunt and the pitcher tries to get the runner at second, but instead throws the ball away allowing a run to score and the runner going to second to advance to third. With runners on the corners, and the chance to score more, South Rowan fails to execute a squeeze bunt for the second time on the night and allows Lore to strike out Deal to end the inning with Randolph maintaining a 5 - 4 lead.
Randolph answers in the bottom half of the inning with two runs. Scott Hayes leads off the inning with a single and is bunted over to second. Ben Bunting follows with beautiful bunt base hit that didn’t even draw a throw as the catcher fielded the ball. With runners at first and third, Brent Young rips a single scoring the runner from third. Neil Pritchard provides some more help as he hit a double scoring Bunting. Neal gets out of the inning with no further damage making the score 7 - 4 after seven innings.
South Rowan gets the scoring going again in the eighth inning. Ingold was hit and Justin Lane followed with a single before Bostian was walked to load the bases. With one out, Daniel Wagner steps up to the plate with the opportunity to get his team closer. Wagner ropes a pitch into left center, which scores Ingold, but on the play Lane went back to the second base bag to tag in case the center fielder could catch it. Lane then had to hold at third, but Wagner was going full speed to second, leaving Bostian stranded in between second and third. Bostian is tagged out and Randolph gets out of the inning with a strike out to keep them on top by a score of 7 - 5.
Randolph added another run in the eighth on a single from Bryson Windsor that scored Hahn. South Rowan was led by Bostian, who had three hits, Daniel Wagner, who recorded two hits and drove in a run, as well as Chase Deal, who drove in two runs. Randolph was led by Brent Young, who two hits while scoring a run and driving in a run, Ethan Marsh, who two hits and drove in a run, and Neil Pritchard, who recored two hits and drove in a run.
This game takes the series to two games to one in favor of South Rowan as the series heads back to South Rowan for game four Tuesday night.
