Gallery by Tina Laney
Gardner – Several of PikeView’s recent losses have been marred by a big inning.
A 10-run fourth against Lake City in Myrtle Beach, a seven-run second against Lugoff-Elgin and a four-run third against Concord Academy have all doomed the Panthers in the last week.
Independence was happy to see those struggles alive and well.
The Patriots erupted for nine runs in the second inning Tuesday, downing the host Panthers 14-3 in five innings in Gardner.
With a slugfest seemingly on tap after PikeView took a 2-1 lead after an inning, the Patriots threw the defining haymaker and fended off all of PikeView’s jabs.
The Panthers never recovered, stranding two runners on base in four of the five innings while Indy cleaned up, leaving just four on base.
“We talked about that exact stat,” PikeView skipper Josh Wyatt said. “We talked about eight runners left on and we identified the second inning. We have the chance in my mind to cut it to 10-5. I’m thinking in the coach’s box , ‘If we can cut this to 10-5 it would be a great lesson for the kids to chip away.’ When we didn’t do that – kudos to Independence because they cut that off but they kind of stepped on our throats and suffocated us out of the game and put us away the way you’re supposed to.”
There was reason for optimism early in the PikeView dugout with Indy’s first run largely gifted. Clay Basham was walked to open the game, stole second and advanced to third on a passed ball with no outs. An RBI groundout from J.D. Monroe scored Basham before pitcher Jared Vestal included two more groundouts.
A wild pitch and groundout allowed PikeView to plate Drew Damewood and Zach Rose, swinging a 2-1 advantage its way despite a pair of runners stranded.
Independence’s answer was loud and immediate.
No. 5 hitter James Williams blasted a leadoff home run to open the second and was the first of seven straight Patriots to reach base. Four of those runners reached on singles with the other two coming on a walk and an error. Brayden Kiblinger and Monroe collected a pair of RBIs before PikeView induced the first out, a groundout from Cole Cunningham that scored another run.
The nightmare continued.
Williams picked up his second and third RBIs of the inning with a two-run single to make it 8-2 with Zach Smith and Orion Wills adding RBIs afterwards.
When the dust settled the Patriots led 10-2, powered by a frame in which they sent 14 batters to the plate, bashing seven hits. Of the nine players in the Indy lineup, eight reached base and scored in the second with Williams scoring twice.
“In the first inning we weren’t real selective,” Independence head coach Scott Cuthbert said. “Clay walked on seven pitches and (Vestal) ends up throwing 13 pitches so I just told them to be selective. I thought we did a real good job to keep battling with two strikes. We were able to work where we got a walk and were able to get some hits and they made a couple mistakes in there but tonight was probably the best we’ve run the bases. We really struggled with base running at times and yesterday we worked on it a lot. We’re coming along. We just – we’re halfway through the season but they’re starting to get there. Hopefully in a couple of weeks we’ll be where we want to be.”
PikeView attempted to mount a rally and appeared on track to do so when the No. 8 and 9 hitters drew walks to open the bottom of the second. Damewood lit the spark of hope with a one-out RBI single but a pop out and groundout diffused the threat. Monroe and Basham, splitting time on the mound, kept the Panthers at bay the rest of the way. The latter led the charge with four RBIs on the evening for Indy as the visitors scored two runs each in the third and fourth innings to salt the game.
“Clay didn’t have his real good stuff tonight and he struggled but he was able to get out of (the second),” Cuthbert said. “I thought J.D. pitched really well in relief but we’ve been able to do that. If you can make routine plays in high school baseball you’re going to always have a chance and that’s what we’re trying to convince them of. You don’t have to do nothing special but if you make the normal play you’ll stay in most ball games.”
Basham picked up the win for Indy, allowing two earned runs while Vestal picked up the loss for PikeView.
Email: tylerjackson@lootpress.com and follow on Twitter @tjack94
