Falcons ends Cavs' season

By TREVOR ZION BAUKNIGHT
Item Sports Writer

BISHOPVILLE — After a lackluster performance in Game 1 of its SCISA 3A semifinal best-of-three series against Ben Lippen, the Robert E. Lee Academy varsity baseball team was looking to settle down on its home field and bounce back. The Falcons had other ideas, however, exploding for six first-inning runs and coasting to a 7-2 win to advance to the state finals.

Robert E. Lee finished the season with a 25-7 record. Ben Lippen, now 23-5, advances to meet Northwood for the state championship in a best-of-3 series starting on Monday at Ben Lippen. Northwood defeated Wilson Hall 5-3 to take the other semifinal series.

"I just told them it could have been a lot worse," said REL head coach Darren Griggs. "We could be 5-26 or whatever it was, but we got some injuries in that first series with Augusta Christian and got behind with the pitching (rotation). When you take those things in a 3-game series, you've got to have a bunch of people that can play, and we just kind of ran out of gas here at the end."

With their top two pitchers, Tyler Jackson and Scott Ward, throwing well over 200 pitches over the last seven days, the Cavaliers were going to need to dig deep if they were to have a chance against the top-seeded Falcons. Ben Lippen was quick to pull the trigger, however, and got all the runs it needed off of Jackson with three swings of the bat in the top of the first.

Leadoff man Kyle Williamson belted the first pitch of the game over the leftfield fence into the Robert E. Lee parking lot. Blaine Walker singled before rightfielder Rick Davis slapped a 2-run home run that gave Ben Lippen a 3-0 lead before many Cavalier faithful had settled into the bleachers.

Justin Norris swung at strike three and was called out by the home plate umpire. Norris took off for first as if the ball had hit the ground, however, and when REL catcher Brandon Gardner didn't go to first in time, Norris was ruled safe by the first base umpire. A sacrifice by John Montgomery moved Norris to second before Rob Brigman singled him home to make it 4-0.

Jeter Mobley drew a 2-out walk and he and Brigman stole second and third, respectively, before Joey Carter plated both with a 2-RBI double that gave Ben Lippen a 6-0 lead.

"When you start off with a six-spot in the first, you can relax and just come out and play, and we did," said Ben Lippen head coach Brent Walsh. "That sparked us hitting that first pitch out of the park, and these guys are seniors — we stressed that we're going to start well and finish well, and if we win those middle innings, we'll win the baseball game. We've been starting well, and it takes the pressure off and puts it on them. Their backs were against the wall, and when you put up a six-spot, it really kind kills any momentum."

Robert E. Lee didn't fold, however. The Cavaliers got a run back in the bottom of the first when Gardner drew a leadoff walk, moved to second on a single by Tyler Jackson and scored on an RBI-single by Scott Ward. Ward led REL at the plate, going 2-for-4 with a run batted in.

Jackson, J-Mac Easterling and Gary Byrd were each 1-for-3, and Byrd had the Cavs' only other RBI.

Jackson suffered the loss on the mound, giving up six hits and three earned runs while striking out six and walking two in four innings of work. Easterling finished it out after coming on in relief in the fifth, giving up one hit and no earned runs while striking out five and walking four, including the first three batters he faced.

Norris got the win for Ben Lippen, scattering six hits and giving up two earned runs while striking out five and walking one in 5 1/3 innings. Colby Edwards closed out the Cavaliers, surrendering one hit and striking out two and walking two. Davis led the Falcons at the plate with a 2-for-2, 2-RBI performance.

Ben Lippen posted an insurance run in the fifth when Brigman drew a walk from Easterling, moved to second when Edwards walked and then stole third base. Brigman scored on a passed ball to make it 7-1.

REL kept at it, however, getting a 1-out double from Easterling, who moved to third on a single by Ward and scored on an RBI-single by Byrd to make it 7-2. Chad King drew a walk to load the bases with only one out, giving the Cavaliers a glimmer of hope before Preston Lane and Ryan Smith both struck out looking to end the inning.

In the seventh, Ryan McCutchen was hit by a pitch and Jackson drew a 1-out walk, but Easterling popped up to the pitcher Edwards and Ward popped up in foul territory where the catcher Walker made the catch to end the game.

"We could have rolled over and played dead," Griggs said. "But we hung in there and battled, and I'm proud of them for that."