April 17, 2009

All photos by Jill Lee

Ladner stymies Mendenhall 10-0 in Game 1

by Carey Meitzler

Mendenhall--The ingredients to winning playoff games usually involves solid pitching, good defense, and timely hitting.  On Friday

in Game 1 at Mendenhall, Coach Cayne Stockstill's team had the right portions of each in posting a 10-0 win in Game 1 of the

best of three series in the first round of the Class 4-A South State playoffs.

Senior righthander Bryce Ladner went the distance and moved his mark to 8-0 on the year with the win.  Ladner only faced two

batters over the minimum of twenty-one, struck out seven, allowed three singles, and did not walk a batter.

With Ladner on cruise control, Picayune gnawed away at Mendenhall's junior righthander Robert Myers.  Picayune had men on

base in both the first and second innings, but Myers kept the Maroon Tide scoreless.

In the third, Ladner walked with one out and was replaced by courtesy runner Eric Smith.  Jake Riser doubled off the base of

the twelve foot high fence to move Smith to third base.  With first base open, Mendenhall intentionally walked Bales.   Hunter

Gill then drove a sacrifice fly to left field that brought in Smith for a 1-0 lead.

Picayune added two more runs in the fourth inning.  Evan Nichelson singled to center field on a 1-2 curve ball from Myers to

start the inning.  Garrett Williams' sacrifice bunt moved Nichelson to second.  Nichelson moved to third on a wild pitch.

Braxton Lee walked and promptly stole second.  Brett Milner's grounder to short plated Nichelson for a 2-0 advantage and

Lee moved to third base.   Ladner then laced a double between the third baseman and the bag that drove in Lee for a 3-0 lead.

Photos by Jill Lee

Garrett Williams lays down a bunt that moved Evan Nichelson to second base.

Braxton Lee scores from third base as Bryce Ladner's double heads to the left field corner.

In the top of the fifth, Hunter Gill singled to right field and moved to second base when Brandon Jurich was hit by a pitch.

Garrett Williams singled to right field on an 0-2 pitch to to bring home Gill for a 4-0 lead.

Picayune got a solo home run over the left field fence from Evan Nichelson with one out.  With two out, pinch hitter Jay

Dedeaux reached on an error and then moved to second on an errant pick off attempt at first base.  Brett Milner singled

to right field to bring home Dedeaux making it 6-0.  Ladner walked and Riser was hit by a pitch from reliever Nick Grantham

to load the bases.  Bales, who had been intentionally walked twice with first base open, launched a 0-1 curve ball deep

over the right center field fence for a grand slam to put the margin at 10-0.  Ladner induced a ground ball and struck out

the last two batters in the bottom of the seventh to end the game.

Picayune (17-3) hosts Mendenhall (8-19) in Game 2 at Picayune on Saturday at 1:00pm  Game 3, if necessary, will

follow 30 minutes ater.

Photos by Jill Lee

Hunter Gill (center) completes a catch in shallow left center as Garrett Williams (left) and Jake Riser (right)

keep a close eye on the play.