Wildcats rally past Knights
By By Carver Rayburn/staff writer
April 26, 2003
There is a new breeding ground for 3A baseball other than West Lauderdale.
The Greene County Wildcats scored three runs in the top of the seventh inning to come-from-behind and eventually win 3-2 at West Lauderdale on Friday night.
The Wildcats (27-5) scored two of their three runs with two outs in the seventh.
Wildcats' first baseman Lance Brewer led off the inning with a single off the center field wall that sparked the Greene County bats.
Center fielder Antonio Anderson, who had struck out three times in as many at bats previously, produced a single to left field to put runners at first and second with one out.
Shortstop Dalton Bradley brought home the first Greene County run of the game with a 1-0 count strike to right field. The single plated Brewer.
Senior pitcher Jamie Fontan retaliated by striking out catcher Tommy Lott, but the third strike got away from Knights' catcher Miles Joyner and Lott reached first to put two runners on base with two outs.
The extra base runner would prove to be the back breaker for West Lauderdale (20-7).
Clean-up hitter Elliot Burch took a Fontan curve ball to center field for a two-out two RBI double to give the Wildcats the 3-2 lead going into the bottom of the seventh.
West Lauderdale failed to score in the bottom of the seventh as Greene County's junior lefty Taylor Kimble struck out the side to improve to 10-1 for the year.
West Lauderdale pitcher Jamie Fontan got into trouble early in the first inning but was able to use his experience to get out of the jam with out any damage.
The Knights would tally a run in the second and third inning to take a 2-0 early lead.
Joyner reached first base on a throwing error with one out in the second to give the Knights something to work with.
Freshman courtesy runner Drew Snider would get caught in a run down between first and second, but Snider ducked under the tag and reached second base safely.
Junior Cody Powell then knocked in Snider with a two out single to give the Knights a 1-0 advantage.
IN the third inning, percentage baseball notched another West Lauderdale run.
Sophomore Caleb Dulaney drew a lead-off walk and shortstop Bo Davis added an infield bunt single to give the Knights two runners with no outs.
Two sacrifice bunts later, West Lauderdale plated its second run of the game. Trent Posey was credited with the RBI.
West Lauderdale now trails 1-0 in the best of three series and will travel to Leakesville for game two at 1 p.m. today. Senior Trent Posey will get the start for West and senior Dustin Eubanks should start for Greene County.
