Heidelberg Academy leaves Tri-County in dust
By By Marty Stamper / EMG sports assistant
April 27, 2003
HEIDELBERG With a team batting average over .400, the Heidelberg Academy Rebels don't need a whole lot of help to win baseball games this spring.
Yet Tri-County Academy committed seven errors, which along with three Heidelberg home runs, sent the hosts to the second round of the Academy Class A state playoffs with a 13-3 five-inning blowout Saturday afternoon at Mitch Garvin Memorial Field.
Heidelberg took a 17-0 blowout win in the series opener on Tuesday.
The Rebels got five runs in the bottom of the first inning off just one hit, an RBI double by Brooks Lewis. Tri-County committed three errors in the frame, and losing pitcher Joshua Osbourne issued three walks.
Matthew Andrews led off the bottom of the second with a homer to left field to put Heidelberg up 6-0.
The 22-1 Rebels, who will advance to second round play next week against the Wayne Academy-Prentiss Christian series winner, added five more runs in the third.
Blake Bass and J.R. Stephenson reached on errors to start the big inning. Derek Griffin singled to load the bases, and Joe McLeod made it 6-0 with a sacrifice fly that scored Bass.
Brent Welch walked to reload the bases, setting the stage for Ryan Aultman's grand slam over the high wall in center field some 350 feet from the plate.
Trailing 11-0, Tri-County touched Aultman for three runs on three hits and two walks in the top of the fourth. Eric Green had a leadoff double, and Eddie Hayes and Bretley Davis walked to load the bases. Russ Taylor followed with a two-run single.
Mason Key led off the bottom of the fourth with a solo homer just to the right of the center field wall to give Heidelberg a 12-3 lead.
The Rebels brought the 10-run rule into play in the bottom of the fifth. Andrews hit a leadoff single and went to third on Aultman's double in the left field corner.
Lewis' sacrifice bunt scored Andrews to end the game.
Aultman gave up five hits and four walks, while striking out four to up his record to 7-0.
Aultman and Andrews each had two of Heidelberg's seven hits.
The Rebels are off until Tuesday when they take on the Wayne-Prentiss Christian winner. Those two will tangle Monday at Prentiss to settle their opening round series. Wayne won the first game of the best-of-three series 9-8 with Thursday's rain pushing the remainder of the series back.
On the mound, Lewis is 6-0, Stephenson and Welch are both 3-0, and Paul Zeagler is 2-1.
