Published: 12:00 AM, Wed Mar 24, 2010
Baseball: South View rallies in seventh to beat Pine Forest
By Earl Vaughan Jr.
Scholastic sports editor
HOPE MILLS - It's said tradition never graduates. South View's baseball team just might be living proof of that this season.
Coach Scott Ellis is missing five starters he expected to be in his lineup this season, but his patchwork lineup keeps finding ways to win. The Tigers played small ball in the seventh inning, with No. 9 batter Evan Brady singling home the winning run in South View's 5-4 victory over Pine Forest.
The win at South View's Koonce Field pulls the Tigers nearly even with Pine Forest in the Mid-South 4-A Conference standings. South View is 7-1 overall, 3-1 in the league, while Pine Forest slipped to 4-4, 4-1.
"There's no doubt we've been dealt some adversity this year,'' Ellis said. "Our young kids are what have been driving us lately, stepping up in key positions. They are learning that from the four or five seniors we've got. It's fun to be around kids that are not letting it get them down.''
The lead see-sawed back and forth during the game, with Pine Forest forcing a tie in what turned out to be its final at bat in the top of the seventh. With two outs, Pine Forest pitcher Darby Copeland singled up the middle to drive home Juan Gloria from second and knot the score at 4-4.
That was the end of the night for South View starter Brandon Huffman, who struck out 12 batters but had control problems. He walked four and hit four batters.
Dale Urquhart came on in relief and struck out Ryan Shabram to end the inning.
South View had the bottom of the order coming up in the seventh, but Robert Novak led off with a single to center then took second on a sacrifice by Scott Skryzdlinski.
That brought Brady to the plate with one out.
"All he had thrown me were fastballs the whole game because I was the ninth batter,'' Brady said. "It felt great. That's one of the best feelings, winning the game. I've gotten game winners on errors, but nothing big like that.''
"Evan has hit it on the nose every game this season,'' Ellis said. "He hasn't been baffled by anybody.''
Pine Forest managed to make the game competitive despite only getting three hits while committing seven errors.
"We didn't have the defense behind them tonight,'' Trojans coach Tom Willoughby said.
Despite the loss, Willoughby feels it's going to be a long road to the conference title for whichever team is able to negotiate it.
"I think right now it's a three-way tie for first with us, Terry Sanford and South View, all with one loss,'' he said. "Jack Britt is right there with two losses. It's all who gets who in the second round of conference play.''
Scholastic sports editor Earl Vaughan Jr. can be reached at vaughane@fayobserver.com or 486-3519. South View 5, Pine Forest 4
Pine Forest
000
120
1-437
South View
010
021
1-571
Copeland and Bullard. Huffman, Urquhart (7) and Luna. W - Urquhart (3-0). L - Copeland (1-2).
Leading hitters: Pine Forest - 1-4 (2B, 2 RBI's); Copeland 1-2 (RBI). South View - Huffman 1-3 (HR, RBI); Urquhart 1-3 (HR, RBI); Brady 2-4 (2 RBI).
Records: Pine Forest 4-4, 4-1; South View 7-1, 3-1.