Published: 10:33 AM, Tue Apr 20, 2010
Tigers hand Gray's Creek loss
By Randy Capps
Staff writer
Up until Monday night, it had been 12 games and 12 wins for the Gray's Creek baseball team.
South View made sure that the Bears wouldn't get the baker's dozen as the visiting Tigers took a 7-1 victory.
Randy Hair was one of the main reasons why, as he tossed a complete game gem for South View (16-3).
Hair allowed one run on four hits while striking out six.
And he needed only 81 pitches.
"I can't say enough about him," South View coach Scott Ellis said. "He threw as well as we've seen him all year long.
"The curve ball was working early in the count, he kept his fast ball away from the bats. He did a fantastic job keeping them off-balance, and he kept them off the base paths. That was key."
Clutch pitching and timely hitting served as the hallmarks for the Bears' 12-0 start to the season, but both went missing at crucial times Monday night.
"They're a good team, and I give them all the credit," Gray's Creek coach Jeff Nance said. "They hit the baseball and had a couple of big hits when they had to have them."
Of the Tigers' nine hits in the game, none was bigger than Dale Urquhart's three-run triple to the right-center field fence off Brandon Browne to highlight a four-run fifth inning.
Brandon Huffman went 3-for-4 for the Tigers, while C.J. Tobin, Terrence Gaines and Robert Novak also drove in runs.
Browne took the loss for Gray's Creek (12-1), in relief of starter Bradley Bennett.
Stephen Nalls drove in the Bears' only run while Caleb McNeil went 2-for-3 at the top of the order.
For a non-conference game, the contest featured the intensity one would expect from a rivalry game - complete with brush backs and warnings for both benches.
To top it all off, there was even a bit of oddity.
Gray's Creek had a run taken off the board in the bottom of the fourth inning when Hayden Norris was ruled to be running inside the baseline on the way to first when he was hit in the back by catcher C.J. Tobin's throw.
"All these boys grew up together," Ellis said. "So that's why it's an intense game. These kids played together their whole life: rec ball, Dixie Youth, middle school, all of it. They all know each other and they want to compete with each other and do well."
Despite the loss, Gray's Creek still has everything to play for in the Cape Fear Valley - and perhaps beyond in the state 3-A playoffs.
"You never set out to lose, but I think our guys, being undefeated, were playing underneath some pressure," Nance said.
"Hopefully, we'll pull our boots up and get after it again because I think we've got a good baseball team."
Randy Capps can be reached at cappsr@fayobserver.com or 323-4848, ext. 354