Southeast spoils Vance's no-hit bid
By By Marty Stamper/EMG sports assistant
March 31, 2002
For five innings, Union's Brooks Vance had the Southeast Lauderdale Tigers firmly in check in Saturday afternoon's baseball game at Tiger Field.
Vance retired the first seven batters he faced, gave up a walk to Michael Anderson in the bottom of the third, then sat down the next eight batters to take a no-hitter into the bottom of the sixth.
The Tigers put together five hits in the sixth frame to turn a 1-0 deficit into a 3-1 win. Anderson led off the sixth with a line drive single to first base, barely beating Jacob Casey's throw to first baseman Eric Graham for Southeast's first hit of the day.
Clay McRee's Texas Leaguer to right field put runners on the corners. The Tigers tied the game on an infield out by Tyler Overby and took the lead on a sacrifice fly to center field by winning pitcher Jeff Linton. Jay Butler continued the rally with a double off the center field wall. Butler then added an insurance run as he crossed the plate on a single by Tyler Harper.
Union played errorless defense, handling nine ground ball outs without a flaw.
The inability to add runs eventually cost Union the game. The Yellowjackets finished with only three hits a single apiece by Zack Robinson, Sean Ferrell, and Wes Henry.
The Jackets got their only run in the top of the second. Henry struck out on a pitch that was ruled to have short-hopped the catcher, but reached first base when Anderson threw the ball to third base, thinking he had caught it cleanly.
Robinson followed with a single and Graham's sacrifice bunt put runners at second and third with one out. Henry scored on a ground out by Danny Cain for a 1-0 Union lead.
Paul McMahan walked to put runners on the corners, but Linton picked McMahan off first to end the threat.
Union would have only three more baserunners the rest of the day, none of which got past first base as Linton (6-3) finished strong, retiring the final 11 batters he faced. He allowed only six baserunners for the game and picked two of them off first base. Another was erased on a fourth inning double play.
The Tigers improved to 11-7, while Union dropped to 11-10.
Union hosts Edinburg Tuesday in a Division 6-1A contest.
