Panthers rally for crucial division win

By By Jeff Byrd / staff writer
March 27, 2002
QUITMAN In a marathon, three-hour contest, the Quitman Panthers made the plays necessary to take over first place in Division 5-4A with a comeback 8-4 win over Northeast Jones here Tuesday night at a cold and windy Panther Field. The clutch victory moves the Panthers to 6-1 in division play and 17-4 overall. For Northeast Jones, the loss was its second in division play and the Tigers are now 9-6 overall.
An inconsistent and tight strike zone frustrated pitchers on both sides.
Northeast Jones had just three hits but also drew 10 walks. Yet Quitman reliever Jonathan Russell was able to get either the key strike out or the good defensive play to hold the Tigers in check. Russell tossed five innings of scoreless relief to key the Panthers to the crucial victory.
Hamrick's diving stop and scramble to the first base bag took a way sure double down the right-field line from Northeast's top hitter in Nathan Jack. The play occurred with two out in the sixth when a runner on and the Panthers guarding a 6-4 lead. Quitman then grabbed more insurance in its half of the sixth. Freshman Jamie Shirley led off with a single, then Russell and Hamrick drew walks.
Quitman coach Brett Rigby opted for the squeeze and Blake Pippen delivered, getting a bunt past the pitcher to easily score Shirley for a 7-4 lead.
Adam Neal lined a single into right scoring courtesy runner Marcus Davis for an 8-4 lead. In the Northeast seventh, Jason Ford got his second hit of the night, and only the team's third safety, with a leadoff double. He was left at third after Russell came back to retire three of the next four batters, the last coming on a fly out to right.
Russell ended up walking six and hitting one, but he also struck out six and held Northeast without a run.
Northeast got its lead with two runs in both the first and second off Panther starter Matthew Creighton. A wild pitch and error on the throw back to a covering Creighton sent Ford and Josh Johnson in for the first two runs. In the second, a two-out double by Jack was followed by Ford's first hit, a two-run single to center that scored Jack and Eric Windham to make it 4-1.
Quitman got a run back in the fourth when Blake Pippen walked and then went to third on a hit by Neal and a Tiger overthrow error. He then came in on a RBI fielders choice by Lorenzo White. Quitman grabbed the lead with a four-run fifth inning. Shirley started it with a double that the wind beat down in between fielders in shallow right. A single by Russell scored Shirley to make it 4-3.
Hamrick then sent a fly ball into left-center that was dropped, allowing Davis Russell's courtesy runner to score the tying run. White later drew a bases-loaded walk to score Hamrick putting the Panthers ahead 5-4.
With the bases still loaded, a grounder to third by Auston Edwards cut down one Panther runner. But on a try for the double-play, the throw from home sailed into right field allowing Neal to score for a 6-4 lead.
Shirley led the Panthers with two hits and two runs scored. Russell, Pippen and Neal all had two hits. The win lifts Russell to 4-1 on the year. Jack took the loss.