Aiden Massey (13) goes in hard at second Tuesday vs. Dutch Fork. (Photo/Kristy Kimball Massey)
BLYTHEWOOD (March 16, 2016) – With the crack of Todd Mattox’s bat, and the base hit up the middle that followed, Blythewood looked to complete a come-from-behind victory over Dutch Fork Tuesday to open Region IV-4A play.
With the Bengals down 5-4 with one out in the bottom of the seventh, Jacob Davis scored from third base on Mattox’s hit to tie the game. But Jordyn Adams, who had singled in Jordan Fleming earlier in the inning, stumbled on the jump from his lead off second.
Adams recovered and rounded third, but Silver Foxes catcher Parker Carter was waiting for him with the ball. Adams returned to third, but Mattox was thrown out taking second on the play.
“We got a guy on second and third, we got a hit to win the game and the guy fell down on the way home,” Blythewood head coach Barry Mizzell said. “I don’t know how else to explain it. We’ve lost three one-run games this year in the last inning. We’re just having a hard time finding a way to win the game.”
Instead, Blythewood ended the inning with Tony Robson striking out. In the top of the eighth, Carter crushed a 1-out, two-run double that eventually gave Dutch Fork a 7-5 win.
Blythewood (3-4, 0-1) got off to a 1-0 lead in the second inning, when Collin Miller hit a leadoff single and Davis eventually doubled him in.
Dutch Fork (4-2, 1-0) got three runs in the top of the third when it took advantage of some shaky Bengals defense. Carter led off with a single, but Reece Corimer and Johnathan Thomas reached on back-to-back errors.
Carter scored from third on Thomas’ infield line drive. Blythewood starting pitcher Justin Greider fielded it, but fired the ball past Mattox at third and into foul territory, enabling Carter to rush home.
Corimer scored on Shook’s sacrifice fly to center field, and Brandon Deans singled in Thomas with just one out.
Taylor Wiggins popped out and Parker Shephered hit into a fielder’s choice to end the inning with Dutch Fork leading 3-1.
“We did everything,” Mizzell said. “We played bad defensive ball early on and got ourselves in a hole, but we battled back.”
The Silver Foxes got a run in the fourth and one in the fifth to make it 5-1, but Blythewood got two runs in the bottom of that inning to cut the lead to 5-3.
Davis singled to start the inning, moved to second and third as Adams batted, and came home when Adams delivered a single up the middle.
Adams scored when Robson struck out and ran for first on a dropped third strike. Parker’s throw to first was not in time to get Robson, and it delayed the throw long enough for Adams to rush home with no play.
After a scoreless sixth, the stage was set for a thrilling walk-off victory that didn’t pan out.
“We did everything we were supposed to do, got the winning run on base, and he fell down,” Mizzell said.
Greider pitched seven full innings for the Bengals, giving up five runs — two earned — on three hits. He struck out five and walked two.
Miller took the loss for Blythewood. He started the eighth and worked just 1/3 of the inning before giving up two runs.
T.J. Shook worked six-plus innings for the Silver Foxes, giving up four runs on five hits. He struck out six and walked three.
Shook walked Jordan Fleming to start the seventh.
When Jordan Beatson came on for the Foxes, Fleming scored and then Davis came around to tie the game at 5. Beatson stayed on the mound in the eighth and, after Dutch Fork scored the go-ahead runs in the top of that frame, got the win with a scoreless bottom half.
“You come to a place like Blythewood with the tradition and coach Mizzell, and you know you’re going to have to go to war for seven innings,” Dutch Fork head coach Casey Waites said. “We talked about that before the game. It’s not over, especially if you’re on the road, until the end of the game.”
DF: 0-0-3 1-1-0 0-2 – 7-6-2
BHS: 0-1-0 0-2-0 2-0 – 5-9-4
D: T.J. Shook, Jordan Beatson (7,W), and Parker Carter. B: Justin Greider, Collin Miller (8), Jordyn Adams (8), and Ryan Bland. 2B – D: Nick Savage, Beatson, Carter (2). B: Jacob Davis. LOB – B 7, D 5.
