April 25, 2009

Maroon Tide prevails 7-5 in 9 innings to win series

by Carey Meitzler

Vancleave--Evan Nichelson and Jay Dedeaux drove in runs for Picayune in the top of the 9th inning and Jonanthan Hickman

recorded his second win in relief in as many days as the Maroon Tide earned a 7-5 win over Vancleave to sweep the series

two games to none.

After playing ten scoreless innings the night before, it appeared Picayune's Bryce Ladner and Vancleave's Tyler Buckley would

send this one into extra frames with zeros on the scoreboard as well as both pitched shutout ball through the first four innings. 

Buckley worked out of a bases loaded jam in the top of the first and Ladner dodged some bullets with support of his defense.

All photos by Jill Lee

Garrett Williams hits a grounder in the first inning against Vancleave in Game 2.

Picayune turned a 6-4-3 double play (Gill to Riser to Nichelson) to end the bottom of the second, but perhaps the best play of

the game occurred in the bottom of the third.  Vancleave got a leadoff double from Colin Bray and he moved to third when Ladner

was called for a balk.  Ryan Craft floated a single to center field as centerfielder Braxton Lee came charging toward the ball.

Lee decoyed Craft by holding his hands up as if he was going to catch the ball in the air for an out, but the ball one hopped in

front of Lee and he fired a near perfect throw to catcher Jay Dedeaux who slapped a tag onto the helmet of Craft just prior to

his slide to home plate.  Lee's decoy froze the runner just long enough to allow himself time to make the throw for the crucial out.

In the top of the fifth, Brandon Jurich walked to give Picayune a base runner after Buckley had retired nine batters in a row

including striking out the side in the fourth.   Jurich moved to second on a wild pitch.  After a strikeout, Lee singled sharply up

the middle and Jurich rounded third and scored.  The ball skipped past the center fielder and Lee rounded the bases for an

apparent 2-0 lead, but he was out on appeal at second base as he stepped just in front to the bag.

Trailing 1-0, Vancleave scored a run in the bottom of the fifth on a wild pitch to tie the game.

All photos by Jill Lee

Bryce Ladner gets ready to release a pitch as Hunter Gill gets ready at short.

Jay Dedeaux looks to the dugout to get a sign from Asst Coach Cody Stogner.

In the sixth, Picayune sent nine batters to the plate.  With one out, Jared Bales laced a double into the right field corner. Evan

Nichelson was issued an intentional walk.  Jay Dedeaux was hit by a pitch to load the bases.  Garrett Williams walked on 3-2

pitch to force home Matt Archer who was running for Bales.  Brandon Jurich's slow roller ground out to second base scored

Nichelson to make it 3-1.  Jake Riser grounded to short and the throw to first pulled the first baseman off the bag allowing

Jonathan Hickman (courtesy runner for the catcher Dedeaux) and Williams to score giving Picayune a 5-1 lead.

Vancleave, down to their last at bat, rallied for four runs to tie the game.  During the inning, Ladner was replaced by Hickman

on the mound.

After neither team could score in the eighth, Hickman, now batting in the leadoff spot for Ladner, fouled off three potential

third strikes before earning a walk off reliever Chad McCreary on a 3-2 pitch to start the ninth. Gill grounded out to first

base moving Hickman to second with one out.  Bales was issued an intentional walk and both runners moved up one base

on a wild pitch.  Nichelson then singled between short and third scoring Hickman and putting Bales on third. Dedeaux doubled

between the bag and the third baseman into the left field corner scoring Bales to make it 7-5.

In the bottom of the 9th, Hickman got the first out on a fly ball to Lee in center field.  Ryan Craft then reached on an error at

short and leadoff batter Sean Hodges was safe on a dropped fly ball in right field.   With the winning run at the plate for Vancleave,

Hickman got Anthony Izzio out on a called third strike curve ball on a 2-2 count and then struck out Ethan Smith on another 2-2

pitch as Smith swung and missed a curve ball to end the game.

Picayune (20-3) will advance to play the winner of the Lawrence County / Wayne County series which will be decided with a

game three on Saturday.  The next series will be played on Friday, Saturday, and Monday (if necessary).  

Should Wayne County (a #2 seed) win, Game 1 will be in Picayune.  If Lawrence County (a #1 seed like Picayune) wins,

a coin toss will determine the location of Game 1.