Knights squeak past Purvis, force Game 3 on Wednesday

By By Ryan Satcher / staff writer
May 11, 2004
West Lauderdale came up with the clutch hits and big plays to pick up an 8-7 win over Purvis and stay alive in MHSAA Class 3A baseball playoff action.
The Knights scored seven of their runs with two outs on Monday night to force a third game in the best-of-three South State series. The two teams will play the final game of the series at Purvis on Wednesday at 7 p.m.
Purvis battled the Knights the whole way and used a pair of home runs from Matthew Bounds to pressure West Lauderdale, but couldn't come away with the sweep.
Purvis jumped out to an early lead thanks to Bounds' first blast of the game. Jeremy Greene reached on a single and scored on the two-run blast by Bounds.
West Lauderdale was able to get out of the first inning with a double play to stay within two runs and came back in the second inning to take the lead.
Caleb Dulaney hit a solo home run to make the score 2-1. Cory Hart walked and Bo Davis was hit by a pitch to give West Lauderdale runners in scoring position with two outs.
Austin Davis delivered in a big way with a three-run home run to left to make the score 4-2.
The Knights added a pair of runs in the third inning to stretch the lead. After Parker Temple and Cody Freeman reached on singles, Jay Warren delivered a two-out line drive over the third baseman's head to bring in the two runs to make the score 6-2.
Purvis battled back in the fifth inning. Bounds blasted a three-run shot to make the score 6-5.
West Lauderdale answered in the bottom of the fifth with two unearned runs. Temple reached on an error and scored on a two-out hit-and-run single by Warren. Warren scored on another Purvis error to make the score 8-5.
Purvis added a run in the sixth inning on a single by Shawn Anderson to cut the lead to 8-6.
In the top of the seventh, Micah Bounds was hit by a pitch with two strikes, but the umpire ruled that he leaned into the pitch. The call gave West Lauderdale an out, but more importantly kept Bounds off first.
Kyle Lindsey followed the play with a solo home run, but Purvis fell short in the 8-7 defeat.