Saints stun Pea Ridge with 4 runs in seventh
Posted on Tuesday, May 6, 2008
URL: http://www.nwanews.com/bcdr/Sports/61549/
HARRISON — The Shiloh Christian Saints exploded for 4 runs on 4 hits in the top of the seventh inning and rallied past the Pea Ridge Blackhawks 4-3 Monday night in the semifinals of the Class 3 A Region 1 Baseball Tournament on Jack Williams Field.
Both teams will return to action tonight as Pea Ridge takes on Lamar at 4 p. m. in the third-place game while Shiloh Christian will face Lincoln in the championship at 6: 30.
For most of the evening it didn’t look that way, though, as the Blackhawks (15-6 ) managed to keep the Saints (19-8 ) off the board for six innings, but could only muster 3 runs themselves.
“ We told the guys before the inning that good teams find a way to win and we think we’re a good team, ” said Shiloh Christian coach Jimmy Harris. “ We feel like we have a chance to go all the way and we didn’t think we were done going into the seventh. ”
When pinch-hitter Harry Welsh led off the top of the seventh with a single, the Saints’ dugout and their fans seemed to come alive. After that, Ty Stone walked and Josh Huffman reached on bunt single to load the bases. With no outs, Blake Roberts came to the plate and delivered a two-run single to left to finally get Shiloh on the scoreboard and chase Pea Ridge starter Dustin Woodward from the mound.
Josh Salsbury then ripped an RBI single that tied the score. After Pea Ridge recorded the first out, Trey Pitts hit a sacrifice fly to deep center that scored Roberts to gave the Saints a 4-3 lead, which turned out to be the game-winner.
“ We told the guys to play hard and play to the end and what happens, happens, ” said Harris. “ Our motto is ‘ Team ’ and we did it as a team tonight and I am very proud of them. ”
The game was scoreless through three innings although Pea Ridge missed a golden opportunity to score in the bottom of the third but left the bases loaded. The Blackhawks did break the scoreless tie in the bottom of the fourth when Alex Martfeld reached on an error to start the inning and Cole Ingram cranked a two-run home run, his first of the season.
The Blackhawks made it 3-0 in the bottom of the sixth when Ingram led off with a walk and scored on a two-out single by Woodward.
Pea Ridge had just 4 hits in the game and never had more than one in a single inning while leaving 10 baserunners stranded.
“ It was poor hitting on our part, ” said Pea Ridge Coach John E. King. “ We had a lot of missed opportunities. We did fine pitching and on defense. It just came down to our offense. We didn’t get the clutch hits when we needed them. ”
Zann Jones, who relieved starter Chris OIiver in the sixth inning, picked up the victory for the Saints, his first of the season. In two innings of work, Jones struck out two and gave up just one hit.
Woodward took the loss for the Blackhawks in his first varsity start. In throwing six shutout innings, Woodward gave up 5 hits with 3 strikeouts before running out of gas in the seventh.