Late heroics lift Russellville to sweep of Brooks
By Staff
Mike Self FCT Sports Editor
RUSSELLVILLE - Russellville coach David Ward must have felt like he was seeing double during Saturday's doubleheader against Brooks.
Two seventh-inning rallies by Ward's team (one in each game) unfolded in nearly identical fashion as the Golden Tigers pulled out a pair of thrilling wins, beating the visiting Lions 7-6 in the opener and 4-3 in the finale.
Russellville trailed 6-5 in the first game when Jake Ward led off the bottom of the seventh with an infield hit. Jacob Daniel followed with a single, bringing cleanup hitter Cory Trapp to the plate in an obvious sacrifice situation.
Trapp's first two bunt attempts went foul, but Ward was undeterred by the two-strike count.
Trapp's third try to move the runners up was successful, and Brooks pitcher J.D. Woodward intentionally walked Torey Baird to load the bases with one out.
Corey Flanagan then lined the first pitch from Woodward into center field for an RBI single to tie the game.
With the bases still loaded, Preston Beasley delivered a clutch two-strike hit into right-center to bring home Daniel with the winning run.
Russellville's rally made a winner out of Trapp, who relieved starter Jake Ward with no outs and the bases loaded in the second inning and then went the rest of the way. Trapp struck out seven and walked four, allowing five hits and two runs in six innings.
Flanagan was 2-for-4 in game one with two RBIs, and Baird also drove in two runs. Daniel went 2-for-3 with two runs scored, and Patrick Hines had an RBI.
Woodward and Coby Young each had two-run singles for Brooks, with Young's hit breaking a 4-4 tie in the top of the fifth.
Game two brought with it a dose of deja vu, with a slight twist. This time the score was tied 3-3 when the Golden Tigers came to bat in the bottom of the seventh.
Jake Ward again got again to start the inning, drawing a leadoff walk. Daniel followed with a single to right, bringing up Trapp in the exact same situation as game one: No outs, runners at first and second.
Ward again called for a sacrifice, and Trapp again bunted the first pitch foul. He bunted the second pitch back to the mound, and reliever Elliott Alexander threw to third in an attempt to force out Ward.
His throw got past the third baseman, and Ward trotted home to give Russellville another thrilling win.
Ward said the play of the game came in the top of the seventh, when centerfielder Caleb Mitchell threw out Young trying to score on a single by Andrew Scott to preserve the tie.
Freshman Seth Rhudy did the grunt work on the mound for Russellville in game two, pitching five solid innings in relief of starter Matthew Crawford. Rhudy allowed just one run on five hits before tiring a bit and walking the first two batters in the sixth.
Daniel relieved Rhudy in the sixth and earned the win, striking out four and allowing one hit in two scoreless innings.
Flanagan and Hines each had two hits in game two, and Ward doubled and scored twice. Baird also doubled, and Hunter Thomas had a single.
Russellville was scheduled to host Colbert Heights in a doubleheader on Tuesday.
