Manning blows past Cheraw 10-1

Keith Gedamke / The Item Manning-Santee first baseman Justin Huggins catches a pickoff throw from pitcher Drew Watcher and tries to apply the tag to Cheraw's Jonathan Stokes on Thursday. Stokes was called safe on the play, but Post 68 won 10-1.

By PATRICK ENZOR
Item Sports Writer
penzor@theitem.com

MANNING – No algorithms are needed to explain that making up just one game with three games left is exponentially easier -- not easy, mind you -- than having to make up two.

With a 10-1 win over Cheraw on Tuesday at the Manning High School baseball field, Manning-Santee Post 68 had hoped to pull into a tie with Camden for the final playoff spot in the League III standings. Camden, however, beat first-place Sumter 8-7 for the second time this season and remains a game up on Post 68.

Manning moves to 8-9 on the season as Cheraw drops to 6-9.

"We play Sumter, then Dalzell (-Shaw) and Bishopville, so we've got some pretty good games coming up here," Manning head coach G.G. Cutter smiled. "We just gave them (Camden) a game down there. We want everybody to beat Camden, but it's not going to happen because they got a good team too. We just want to battle and make the playoffs.

"The way we played Tuesday night (in an11-3 loss at Camden), we told the boys we wanted to see what they were made of," he added. "They came out tonight and were patient at the plate. They didn't make an error and we hit the ball. I was proud of the way they played tonight, the way they bounced back."

Manning-Santee blew open a tight game with a six-run fifth inning on Tuesday. Post 68 had five hits in the inning as Cheraw committed two errors.

Heath Smith, Justin Huggins, Raliegh Lowder and Zan Beasley each knocked a run in the inning. Lowder and Ericson Coker went 3-for-5 in the game from the No. 6 and 7 holes, respectively.

Lowder scored two runs and had three RBI as Coker scored once and plated a run.

"About time we get some production out of the lower end of the order," said Cutter. "Raliegh had been struggling, but he came out tonight and hit a couple good balls. Ericson hit the ball good too."

Post 68 left just three runners on base in scoring position -- including two in the eighth.

"We hit the ball," said Cutter. "I was proud of the way they hit the ball tonight. They were patient. If they play into what we are telling them, we'll be alright."

The six spot in the fifth was more than enough for Post 68 starting pitcher Drew Watcher. The right-hander gave up just one run on six hits – three in each the fourth and seventh innings – with nine strikeouts to just one walk.

Cheraw got a run in the top of the seventh off of Watcher with three singles in the inning. Matt Mays came on in the eighth to close the door by striking out four of the seven batters he faced in two innings of work.

"We got good pitching from Drew and that helps," said Cutter.

Post 68 put up two runs in the fourth on a RBI triple from Lowder and a single from Coker. Huggins went 2-for-5.

Manning travels to Sumter today and hosts Dalzlell-Shaw on Monday. Cutter said he is deciding between Zan Beasley and Chad Coker for his starting pitcher today.

Should there be a tie for a playoff spot after all regular season games have been played, Cutter said that there would be a one-game play-in game.