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Wednesday, 25 July 2007 |
By BRIAN SMITH
Sports Editor
BRYAN — One minute preparing to wrap up another win in the ACME state tournament. Moments later, packing up duffel bags and heading home.
The Yellow Jackets stung the Cardinals.
Perrysburg scored four runs in an improbable bottom of the seventh inning to stun the New Bremen ACME baseball team on Tuesday night.
The 6-5 loss knocked New Bremen (20-8) from the ACME state tournament.
Taking a 5-2 lead to the bottom of the seventh after failing to get an insurance run home from third base with one out, New Bremen appeared to be on the verge of advancing in the tournament getting straight batters out.
The Yellow Jackets started the inning with back to back doubles to make it 5-3, but appeared to be ready to roll over after two batters made outs with a runner at third base.
Already working six innings on Saturday, New Bremen starter Brad Wendel was New Bremen coach Gregg McCollum’s guy through the inning.
“We live or die with Brad out there,” McCollum said. “He’s been our best pitcher all year.”
Coe McKinley then singled to center field to make it 5-4 and Kevin Bosl singled to right field to put runners on first and second for Thomas Patterson.
The left-handed swinging Patterson lined a ball to right field inches over the outstretched glove of right fielder Jared Cox. The ball skipped all the way to the warning track, bringing in both McKinley and Bosl to win the game, 6-5.
Perrysburg coach Dave Hall knew the hit was going to be good for his team right away.
“I knew it was going to be really big right off the bat,” Hall said. “He kind of just froze out there.”
On the other end of the spectrum, McCollum had to console a team crestfallen by the sudden turn of events.
“This was tough way to lose one,” he said. “But I couldn’t ask for anything more out of these kids. We gave a good effort.”
Coming back is nothing new for Perrysburg, Hall said.
“It’s fantastic that we were able to get a win,” he said. “I told the guys we were two hits away and we got them. You just gotta believe.”
After falling behind 2-0 in the first inning, New Bremen bounced back quickly by scoring two runs in the second inning.
Cox and Dylan Crisp hit back-to-back one-out singles.
Adam Meyer followed with a RBI base hit slapped to right field.
Curt Brown hit a sacrifice fly to left field that knotted up the game at 2-2 after two innings.
After Wendel retired the Jackets in order, New Bremen’s offense continued the barage.
“We came out hitting pretty decently,” McCollum said.
Moeder walked to start the third and Matt McCollum singled to right field, hitting behind the runner through the hole created by the first baseman holding on Moeder.
Moeder had a hard time picking up the ball, but still had time to scamper to third base.
With runners on the corners, Wendel’s hot shot skipped through the second baseman’s legs. The wicket shot drove in a run and made it 3-2.
Two batters later Jared Cox smoked a two-run double to left centefield, ending with Derrick Bruggeman being thrown out at the plate in a collision play.
New Bremen led 5-2.
Matt McCollum missed a two-run home run in the fourth inning by a few feet. He belted a deep drive to the warning track with a runner on third base and two outs. The Perrysburg centerfielder made the catch and bumped up against the wall to end the inning.
Dylan Crisp kept the three-run lead intact for the Cardinals in the fifth inning with a runner on first base and two outs.
Crisp went back on a long fly ball hit by Perrysburg’s Blake Schmenk. Crisp got turned around mid-stride, but was able to twist his body and make the over the shoulder catch to end the inning that drew a big reaction from the Bremen dugout.
New Bremen stranded the bases loaded in the top of the sixth inning.
Perrysburg advanced to play Shawnee on Wednesday night at Bryan. |
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Last Updated ( Monday, 30 July 2007 )
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