By David Miller
The Pirates traveled to Eastman Tuesday afternoon to play region 3AA’s #1 seeded Dodge County Indians. The games would live up to their billing. Two good baseball teams would battle it out to the end. After 14 tough innings of baseball the Pirates move on to the elite eight. The Pirates swept the Indians in the best of three series two games to none. The Pirates won the first game 3-2 and they took the late game 8-6.
Pirates Elite Eight Bound Again
Game 1
The Pirates got out of the gate quickly by scoring two quick runs in the top of the first inning. Josh Barber led off the game with a walk. After one out, Byron Buxton hit his third homerun of the playoffs off of Dodge’s ace pitcher, Georgia Southern signee Clint Taylor.
Buxton got the ball for the Pirates. Buxton stranded a base runner at third in the first, got the Indians three up and three down in the second. He stranded a runner at second base in the third. The game would be a pitcher’s dual the whole way. The Pirates added an insurance run in the sixth when Buxton doubled. Tyler Avera followed with a triple to score Buxton. The Pirates led 3-0 going into the bottom of the seventh.
The Indians would put up a huge comeback effort in the bottom half of the seventh. After one out, Buxton issued a walk. The next batter hit a hard hit groundball to Gage Patton at third. Patton started what everyone thought was a game-ending double play but the umpire ruled that second baseman, Jeremy Ammons had been pulled off the base at second. As the Pirates celebrated what they thought was a hard fought win, the runner was ruled safe and advanced to third in the confusion. A walk, and a single to right would score one run. Runners were on first and third with two outs. A wild pitch would plate the second run. The runner at first tried to advance all the way to third on the wild pitch and was thrown out by catcher Mathew Shumans to end the game.
Game 2
Game two was a little different game than the first. Instead of a pitcher’s dual it was more like a homerun derby. The Pirates hit two homeruns in the game, while the Indians belted three of their own. Colby Baucom started the game for the Pirates and pitched well. He allowed four runs, on only three hits.
The Indians drew first blood in this one on a two-run homerun in the top of the second inning. The Pirates answered with a run in the bottom half of the inning. Tyler Avera singled, moved around to third and later scored on a wild pitch.
The Pirates scored two more runs in the bottom of the third on two solo homeruns by Josh Barber and Tyler Avera to take the lead 3-2 after three innings of play. The lead would not last long as the Indians answered right back with a couple of homeruns of their own to take the lead back 5-3.
The Pirates drew one run closer on an RBI groundout by Mathew Shumans in the fourth. The fifth inning was again profitable for the Pirates as Barber led off with a single, Javis fouled out to first. Buxton hit a ground rule double into left center. Senior Tyler Avera singled, and Kyle Miller delivered a double past a diving left fielder to tie the game at six all.
The Indians went scoreless in the top of the sixth. The Pirates returned to the plate in the bottom half and took the lead 8-6. After one out, Shumans walked, Gage Patton hit a sharp ground ball off of the first base bag for a single. Barber followed with a ground ball that got by the shortstop behind second base for a go ahead single and RBI. A bunt single by Javis would load the bases. Buxton drew a walk to score a run.
Jeremy Ammons and Josh Barber held down the Indians bats late in the game in relief of Baucom to preserve the victory. The Pirates (20-9) now travel to Hartwell, Georgia on Tuesday, May 17 to begin a best-of-three series against the Hart County Bulldogs (24-6). Game time for game one is scheduled for 3:00 p.m. on Tuesday with game two to follow thirty minutes after the first game ends. For more information about the Pirates please visit www.applingpiratesbaseball.com.
The Pirates got out of the gate quickly by scoring two quick runs in the top of the first inning. Josh Barber led off the game with a walk. After one out, Byron Buxton hit his third homerun of the playoffs off of Dodge’s ace pitcher, Georgia Southern signee Clint Taylor.
Buxton got the ball for the Pirates. Buxton stranded a base runner at third in the first, got the Indians three up and three down in the second. He stranded a runner at second base in the third. The game would be a pitcher’s dual the whole way. The Pirates added an insurance run in the sixth when Buxton doubled. Tyler Avera followed with a triple to score Buxton. The Pirates led 3-0 going into the bottom of the seventh.
The Indians would put up a huge comeback effort in the bottom half of the seventh. After one out, Buxton issued a walk. The next batter hit a hard hit groundball to Gage Patton at third. Patton started what everyone thought was a game-ending double play but the umpire ruled that second baseman, Jeremy Ammons had been pulled off the base at second. As the Pirates celebrated what they thought was a hard fought win, the runner was ruled safe and advanced to third in the confusion. A walk, and a single to right would score one run. Runners were on first and third with two outs. A wild pitch would plate the second run. The runner at first tried to advance all the way to third on the wild pitch and was thrown out by catcher Mathew Shumans to end the game.
Game 2
Game two was a little different game than the first. Instead of a pitcher’s dual it was more like a homerun derby. The Pirates hit two homeruns in the game, while the Indians belted three of their own. Colby Baucom started the game for the Pirates and pitched well. He allowed four runs, on only three hits.
The Indians drew first blood in this one on a two-run homerun in the top of the second inning. The Pirates answered with a run in the bottom half of the inning. Tyler Avera singled, moved around to third and later scored on a wild pitch.
The Pirates scored two more runs in the bottom of the third on two solo homeruns by Josh Barber and Tyler Avera to take the lead 3-2 after three innings of play. The lead would not last long as the Indians answered right back with a couple of homeruns of their own to take the lead back 5-3.
The Pirates drew one run closer on an RBI groundout by Mathew Shumans in the fourth. The fifth inning was again profitable for the Pirates as Barber led off with a single, Javis fouled out to first. Buxton hit a ground rule double into left center. Senior Tyler Avera singled, and Kyle Miller delivered a double past a diving left fielder to tie the game at six all.
The Indians went scoreless in the top of the sixth. The Pirates returned to the plate in the bottom half and took the lead 8-6. After one out, Shumans walked, Gage Patton hit a sharp ground ball off of the first base bag for a single. Barber followed with a ground ball that got by the shortstop behind second base for a go ahead single and RBI. A bunt single by Javis would load the bases. Buxton drew a walk to score a run.
Jeremy Ammons and Josh Barber held down the Indians bats late in the game in relief of Baucom to preserve the victory. The Pirates (20-9) now travel to Hartwell, Georgia on Tuesday, May 17 to begin a best-of-three series against the Hart County Bulldogs (24-6). Game time for game one is scheduled for 3:00 p.m. on Tuesday with game two to follow thirty minutes after the first game ends. For more information about the Pirates please visit www.applingpiratesbaseball.com.
Trackbacks
Trackback specific URI for this entry
No Trackbacks