Published: 12:24 AM, Mon Jun 14, 2010
Seniors show off their skills at Showcase
By Al Myatt
Correspondent
Luis Renvill of Hoke County High School didn't have a number for the third annual Sandhills High School Baseball Showcase at Riddle Stadium on Sunday night.
In deference to the heat at the outset of the senior all-star game, the UNC Wilmington-bound shortstop played in a Bucks practice T-shirt.
After helping Lumber River EMC to a 16-9 win over South River EMC, Renvill got a nice number on one of those pro golf tournament-sized checks - the $1,000 Grainger Barrett Memorial Scholarship from the host Fayetteville Swampdogs.
The South River team included Cumberland County players. The Lumbee River club was comprised of players from the Southeastern 4-A and Cape Fear Valley 3-A Conferences.
The big check went to Renvill as the game's most outstanding player.
"It was kind of a surprise actually," Renvill said. "I didn't play my best game."
Renvill struck out twice but tripled down the left field line and scored in the bottom of the third to tie the score at 3. He drew a walk and scored in Lumbee River's decisive five-run seventh inning.
"He's going to be a great ball player," said Lumberton coach Paul Hodges, who guided the Lumbee River team, of Renvill. "He'll do well at Wilmington. He's a good infielder.
"He's got a great arm and he can swing the stick, too. He did a great job. He was our only shortstop so we really wanted to keep him in as much as possible."
Mike Musselwhite of Lumberton singled to start the bottom of the seventh for Lumbee River. Matt Bieli of Pine Forest had driven a two-run double to left to tie the score at 9 in the top of the seventh.
Four walks and two hit batters contributed to Lumbee River's five-run seventh.
"We did a pretty good job," Hodges said. "We scored in every inning but the sixth. We were always putting pressure on them.
"I thought we did a great job of running the bases and being aggressive, too."
Lumbee River had eight stolen bases.
South River had a pair of leads. Eric Shelton of E.E. Smith and Jordan Suarez of Westover had RBI singles in a three-run second that provided a 3-1 lead.
South River starting pitcher Brandon Huffman of South View had a two-run double among five hits in the fifth that pushed the lead to 7-5.
C.J. Barr of Union Pines had a run-scoring triple in Lumbee River's four-run fifth for a 9-7 lead. Renvill had a RBI on a groundout to second base.
There were no losers in the showcase. The players and their families enjoyed a sponsored lunch before heading to the stadium.
There were two brief weather delays, which helped push the contest's duration to three hours, 40 minutes.
"I think it's great," Hodges said. "It gives kids a chance to get out and showcase their abilities. It was a just a fantastic game. Luckily, the weather held off."