Disappointing finish

The Sumter Post 15 baseball squad was on an offensive hot streak entering the American Legion state tournament after scoring 91 runs in its previous nine games.

Unfortunately for the P-15’s, that streak went cold at the worst possible time.

After scoring just two runs against Gaffney in the opener on Saturday, Sumter found itself on the wrong side of a pitchers duel on Sunday against Horry Post 111 -- falling 2-1 in an elimination game at Riley Park for a disappointing end to its season.

Sumter finishes the year with a 19-9 record while Horry improves to 18-9 and will face the Florence/Inman loser on Monday at noon.

“It was difficult,” P-15’s head coach Steve Campbell said of the loss. “These guys battled. They battled with everything they had. We hit some line shots, (but) we hit it right at them. They made the plays when they had to. They played well under some pressure situations.”

None more so than in the eighth. After being shut out for seven innings – and 12 straight overall – Sumter finally broke through. Rylan Williamson reached on a fielder’s choice and took third on Joey Pereira’s single. Williamson came home on the next batter when Pereira stole second and the throw down got away momentarily.

Two batters later, a rope by Ryan Touchberry appeared as if it would hit the gap and plate the tying run, but Post 111 shortstop Caleb Nobles leaped at the last second and caught the ball in the web of his glove for the final out.

“That was huge,” Horry head coach Tim Whittaker said. “We were laughing in the dugout that that was a SportsCenter Top 10 play. It was big -- it saved the game for us.”

It also made a winner out of starter Austin Cox. The Post 111 right-hander went seven innings and allowed no runs on six hits with five strikeouts, one walk and two hit batsmen.

He allowed just one Sumter baserunner to reach third base, exiting after 99 pitches. He also worked around a pair of early 2-on, 1-out jams – getting out of trouble in the second inning when a line drive to first was turned into an unassisted double play.

“I was just trying to hit my spots – keep them off balance,” Cox said. “I tried to not let them see the same pitch twice.”

“He came out there throwing first-pitch strikes and getting ground balls and fly balls,” Whittaker said. “When he attacks hitters, and goes after people and doesn’t walk too many, that’s all you can ask.

“He pitched a great game – game of his life.”

Williamson was equally brilliant for the P-15’s. He went the distance, which wound up being 115 pitches. He allowed just five hits with 11 strikeouts, one walk and two hit batsmen.

“What a heart and what a battler,” Campbell said of Williamson. “He did not want to come out, he wanted to stay in. I just wish we could have pulled this thing off for his sake.”

The P-15’s righty didn’t allow a hit until the fourth inning – and that came with some controversy. A liner out to Sumter centerfielder Courtland Howard appeared to be caught as he slid to make the diving grab, but it was ruled that the ball had dropped in for a single. The runner was erased next play on comebacker to the pitcher that Williamson turned into a 1-6-3 double play.

He also worked around a jam in the seventh. Horry got the first two batters on with no outs, but Williamson struck out two of the next three batters to end the threat.

“He had his curveball working like crazy today,” Whittaker said. “He was living off it and we just couldn’t make an adjustment to it.”

Post 111 did finally get to Williamson in the fifth, however. Jim Cagle was hit by a pitch with one out and Austin Catrette followed with a single.

After a wild pitch moved the runners up, Hayden Panos worked the count full, then lined a 2-run single to centerfield that proved to be the difference in the game.

“They had playmakers who made the plays when they had to,” Campbell said. “We have those guys too, but we just didn’t get it done today.

“…It didn’t turn out the way we wanted to and I’ll take responsibility for that. But everyone on this team contributed to the success we had this year and I look forward to next year.”

Nobles, Cagle and Todd McClellan had the other hits for Horry. Andrew Twitty and Pereira each had two hits to lead Sumter.