ELLISVILLE – A step up in classification hasn’t seemed to faze Sumrall any at all, even when their leader is absent.
The Bobcats, now playing in Region 3-5A after many years as a powerhouse in Class 4A, were efficient as always Tuesday night in a showdown against South Jones at Braves Field, coming away with a 3-1 victory.
Sumrall (21-3 overall, 9-0 region) is just a win away from capturing the region title, and can nail it down Friday night at home in the second game of the series. The Braves, defending South State champs in 5A, dropped to 14-6 and 7-1.
Junior right-hander Drew Davis went the distance on the mound, and delivered a key hit in a decisive fifth-inning rally.
“We know when you’re going on the road, in a high-stakes environment – literally our biggest game of the year – there’s nobody else you’d want on the mound,” said Sumrall assistant coach Josh Miller.
“We had a few things go against us, but Drew gave us seven innings with everything he’s got, and we knew we could count on him.”
Miller was coaching the Bobcats in the absence of head coach Andy Davis, who suffered a broken ankle in an accident this past weekend and had surgical repairs done Tuesday. Davis is expected back in the dugout for Friday’s rematch with limited mobility.
“We had a real good idea on Sunday (that Davis was going to be out),” Miller said.
“Andy and I are best friends, and the number of conversations we have weekly, daily, are unbelievable about what we’re going to do in certain situations. I trust him as much as he trusts me.”
This wasn’t Miller’s first rodeo as a head coach. Before coming to Sumrall four years ago, Miller spent 16 seasons as head coach at Calhoun City, so the Bobcats took the change in stride, and it was business as usual against the Braves.
After two innings in a pitcher’s duel between Davis and senior right-hander Logan Langley, Sumrall struck first in the top of the third inning, scratching across a run after two were out.
Sophomore Jase Schultz stroked a single into rightfield, a wild pitch moved him over to second, and he scored on a single by senior Braylon Graham.
The wild pitch was one of several little mistakes that cost South Jones in a big way.
The Braves squandered a promising rally in the first inning, getting back-to-back singles with just one out, but Davis induced a double-play ball to get out trouble. South also had three runners thrown out on the basepaths.
“Credit to them, they played good baseball tonight,” said South Jones coach Mason Strickland. “But I think we can take a lot of positives from tonight.
“We had a few miscues here and there, but for a bunch of sophomores and juniors coming out here holding their own against a top arm like that is a positive for us.”
Davis (8-0) only had one clean inning, a 1-2-3 second, and he wasn’t quite as sharp as he can be, but he got the job done in just 97 pitches.
“I just made pitches and let the infield work,” said Davis. “And it really helped out with us. I can trust my infield, so I just threw it where they could go get it.
“My curveball and fastball were really working tonight. They looked a little shaky in the box, so I took advantage of that, and tried to keep them off-balance.”
In the bottom of the third, South Jones had a runner thrown out at second trying for a double on a ball down the rightfield line, then had a runner get picked off first after a walk.
“Starting the year, we knew our pitching staff was going to be a strength, and our hitting has gotten better,” said Miller. “But defensively, these guys have been amazing. They give you 100 percent of what they’ve got, and they make plays like that all the time.”
Sumrall added two insurance runs in the top of the fifth, when Davis led off with a double into the leftfield corner, and Schultz followed with a double on a gapper into right-centerfield to drive in the run.
Schultz, who also had two singles in a 3-for-4 night, took third after a hit-batter and a walk loaded the bases, then he scored on a wild pitch.
“The only thing I’m thinking there is get him in any way I can,” said Schultz. “RBI situation, you’ve got to get that run in when you’re in a high-stakes game like this. He gave me back-to-back curveballs, and he hung the second one.”
After the hit-batter, the Braves went to the bullpen for left-hander Joseph Roberts, who managed to avert more trouble, and senior Eyen Butler pitched two scoreless innings. Langley (3-2) allowed three runs, all earned, gave up five hits and struck out three.
“I think we measured him that inning,” said Schultz. “He’s a great pitcher, honestly. He mixes his pitches well, and they’re a well-coached team. It’s just that last inning, the fifth, he got tired, and we capitalized on that.”
Sumrall gave up an unearned run in the sixth after a walk, two wild pitches and a two-out error in the infield, the Bobcats’ only serious mistake of the night. Davis allowed four hits, struck out seven and had a rare-two-walk game, giving him seven free passes for the season.
Another baserunning error cost the Braves another runner in the bottom of the seventh with one out.
Davis got a swinging third strike, but the ball caromed off the plate and the runner reached first base, then turned for second after the throw from the catcher went over first base and into rightfield foul territory.
But Bobcat sophomore rightfielder Riggs Russell got to the ball quickly, and fired to first to beat the runner back to the bag. Davis then got a called-third strike to end the game.
Sophomore Cooper McCoy (6-0) is expected to pitch for Sumrall in Friday’s rematch, against senior Walker Johnson (7-0) for the Braves.
“We’re just trying to get ready for playoff baseball,” said Strickland. “This one is another game that we have to get ready for two weeks from now when we start the first round. It’s going to be exciting Friday night, great atmosphere. We’re looking forward to it.”
