SUMRALL – The Sumrall Bobcats didn’t have to do much to take a 1-0 series lead over Northeast Jones Friday night.
That’s because the Tigers walked 11 Sumrall batters in the first two innings to help build a huge lead early, and the Bobcats cruised to a 12-0 run-rule win over their second-round opponent.
A combination of five Northeast Jones pitchers allowed 15 walks in just four innings, and the only pitcher of the six who didn’t walk a Sumrall batter was Charlee Strickland. He covered 1.2 innings and he only threw 18 pitches so he could be available for Game 2.
“After we got through and got those runs, I think (the Northeast Jones pitchers) really started pressing,” Sumrall coach Larry Knight said. “Our guys did a good job. Even though we were taking until we got a strike, there weren’t many strikes so that made it easier.”
Sumrall will go for the sweep Saturday when it travels to Northeast Jones for Game 2. First pitch is scheduled for 1 p.m., and it’ll try to play this Game 2 a little better than last week’s loss to Pass High. After 10-run-ruling the Pirates, Sumrall went to the “Bermuda Triangle,” as Knight calls it, and had a poor performance to allow a Game 3 to be played.
“I think it’s a big deal that we overcame that,” Knight said. “We learned from it and hopefully we don’t let that happen again.”
The Bobcats used four walks, a hit and an infield error by Northeast Jones to jump up 5-0 in the first inning, then seven more walks in the second inning helped give the home team a commanding 11-0 lead.
Three more walks and a lone run in the third inning set up the 10-run rule after the Tigers’ half of the fifth inning.
In the meantime, Sumrall’s pitching is set for the rest of the series. Senior Halen Sanford pitched through some trouble early, but he put the game in cruise control once his offense built the big lead. The right-hander allowed four hits with five strikeouts in his five innings of shutout ball. He did walk four, however.
Since Sanford went the distance, Sumrall’s pitching is in good shape even if the series goes three games. The Bobcats still have seniors Billy Garrity and Hunter Barrett, as well as junior reliever John Cody Stogner and sophomore Kros Sively. Barrett, however, threw 93 pitches on Monday in Game 3 against Pass High, so Saturday will be four days rest for the senior.
While Garrity and Barrett have the most starting experience, Stogner did start of the Game 1 against Pass High last week before getting his first start of the season a week earlier against Petal.
“Right now, I’m not sure who I’m going with,” Knight said immediately after the Game 1 win. “We have four guys who we can run out there, so I’m going to talk with the coaches and either make up my mind later tonight or first thing in the morning.”
Sively hasn’t pitched since late March due to tendonitis and bursitis, but Knight says he’s ready to get some action this series and get his feet wet again.
“He can throw, but we’ll have him on a pitch count,” Knight said. “He just got back to throw a bullpen this week, and he looked really good. We want to get him out there at some point. Whether he starts or not, he’ll get out there if we have an opportunity.”
Northeast Jones will most likely turn to its senior right-hander Saturday. The 6-foot-3 Brady Blackwell has a 1.54 earned run average in 41 innings this season, and he struck out 47 to only 14 walks.
“I know it’ll be a different day for them,” Knight said. “He’ll compete and go out there and I’m sure he'll give them a chance. We’ll have to get ready because it’s not going to be nearly as easy. We learned that last week.”
*Photo by Richard Thompson.
