Enterprise rallies in bottom of seventh
By By Will Bardwell/staff writer
May 23, 2004
JACKSON A second chance was all Wade Weathers needed.
Enterprise's standout southpaw began a game-winning rally in the bottom of the seventh and pitched a complete game to lead the Bulldogs to the state title with a 6-5 win over Mooreville in Game 3 of the Class 2A championship series at Smith-Wills Stadium on Saturday night.
After the Troopers erased Enterprise's 5-2 lead with a three-run outburst in the top of the seventh, Weathers led off the bottom of the inning with a single for his third hit of the game.
Weathers wasn't the only Bulldog who atoned for a late mistake. Weathers was thrown out at second on Adam Simpson's attempt at a sacrifice bunt, but Simpson stole second and third before scoring the Bulldogs' winning run. Scott Moseley, who finished 4-for-5, drove in Simpson on a two-out single that trickled through the right side of the infield.
And when it did, it left Enterprise coach Jeremy Wilkins more than a little relieved. "These kids have battled back all year," Wilkins said. "We had some great senior leadership, and then Scott Moseley I can't imagine what my little sophomore was going through."
Only a few minutes earlier, it seemed as if Simpson's heroics would be unnecessary. After holding a 3-2 lead for most of the game, Enterprise tacked on two insurance runs in the bottom of the sixth. Dennis Watson led off the inning with a single, and Chance Kidd followed with a double before both runners came home on Corey Irby's bloop single.
After Weathers rang up the last of his nine strikeouts for the second out of the seventh, Jason Howell hit an RBI double to make the score 5-3. After the Troopers put two runners on with a hit batter and a walk, Mack Pettit hit a two-run single to tie the score 5-5.
With the Troopers hoping to hold Enterprise in the bottom of the seventh to force extra innings, the Bulldogs loaded the bases and won on Moseley's championship-winning single.
Mooreville took an early 2-0 lead in the second inning, but Enterprise took its first lead with three runs in the bottom of the third. Lance Irby tied the game with a two-run smash over the Troopers outfield and legged out a triple, then scored the go-ahead run on a Zeb Swain chopper in the infield. Meanwhile, Mooreville was held scoreless for four straight innings by Weathers, who finished 16-2 on the year.
