East Clarendon's Timmons comes up clutch on way to Hines Furniture Athlete of the Week

East Clarendon right fielder Crosby Timmons is swinging a hot bat for the Wolverines this spring. When the team was in need of a clutch base hit against a South Florence team that previously handed EC a pair of losses, Timmons stepped up with a game-changing knock with two outs, sparking a Wolverine victory.

It capped off a big week at the plate for the EC right fielder, who also took home Hines Furniture Athlete of the Week honors after helping the Wolverines snag a trio of wins.

"We've got something special in Turbeville," Timmons said of the support of the East Clarendon community. "It's a family through and through."

The go-ahead hit against South Florence was just the latest in a long line of impressive moments for Timmons this spring. Wolverine head coach Curtis Johnson has loved the way he's adjusted to a new position and continued to mash all season long for EC.

"Crosby's been a really good player for us this year. We knew Crosby could hit; he was one of our leading hitters on the JV level last year, and we thought his swing would translate, and it has. He's a consistent kind of guy. He's consistent in everything he does; his demeanor is the same as he's worked his way up higher and higher in the lineup, and he's ended up being a middle-of-the-order type guy for us," Johnson said. "He competes at the plate, and he's a team guy. He doesn't strike out a lot, he takes really good swings, and he's really bought into what we've asked him to do. He's been really good for us."

East Clarendon had two very different days of baseball last week. They opened the final week before spring break with a region doubleheader with Kingstree, which turned into two blowout wins by mercy rule for the Wolverines. EC was then looking for revenge against a larger South Florence program, which handed East Clarendon a pair of one-run losses earlier this spring. Regardless of the opponent, Timmons was focused on doing his job at the plate.

"We definitely wanted to go into spring break on a good note," Timmons said. "Some of the teams in our region don't provide the best competition, but Coach Curtis tells us not to take anybody lightly and that's what we did, and we handled business pretty well. When you play a game like that and then go into an important game, you want to make sure you're ready. We played really well against South Florence, and I was proud of the team."

Timmons and the Wolverines more than handled business against Kingstree. EC won the first game of the doubleheader 16-0 as Timmons went 2-2 with two RBIs and two runs scored. They won the nightcap 11-0 with Timmons 1-1 with a walk, two RBIs and two runs scored. The EC right fielder was focused on taking advantage of the opportunity. He and the Wolverines want to avoid complacency as they gear up for a playoff push.

"It shouldn't matter who you're playing; every game is a game, and every at bat matters," Timmons said. "You just want to be consistent and be the same team every game."

That's exactly the message Johnson has been preaching this spring.

"Hitting is so hard. It's hard to be successful as a hitter, so you have to go to work every day and compete whether the guy is throwing 90 or 50. Your swing is going to be the same, it's just a timing issue," Johnson said. "In the past, when we faced a guy who didn't throw harder, we struggled. I think that's what happened when we faced Andrews; we faced a guy who didn't throw hard, and we were on our front foot. So, we've been preaching that every at bat is important, you have to compete in every at bat.

"I think our guys have bought in, and Crosby has been really, really good about it. He uses his hands very well, and he's not a guy who is easy to get out. He sees pitches, he works the count. He's struck out one time in 50 plate appearances, so he's a guy who is going to force you to make a play and force you to throw strikes."

East Clarendon's match with South Florence was a little more tense. The game was locked in a 1-1 tie when the Wolverines went to bat in the bottom of the fifth. Braylon Hunt led off the inning with a single, but two quick outs left EC in need of some magic. Hunt eventually swiped second to get into scoring position, but Timmons was left with an 0-2 count and needed a clutch RBI. The third pitch of the at bat was a fastball that Timmons was able to get through the infield for the go-ahead single before taking second on the throw home. Timmons eventually would come around to score on an RBI single from Kenley Sullivan as East Clarendon broke away for a 6-1 win.

"I've just got to thank my coaches and my teammates; I never would've been in that spot if it wasn't for my coaches or my teammates getting on base before that," Timmons said. "You can't let an 0-2 count get in your head, you just have to know you're a hitter, you're in that spot for a reason and you can do what the team needs you to do."

Johnson knew Timmons was more than capable of stepping up with his back against the wall.

"That's who Crosby is," the EC head coach said. "We talk all the time about wanting to hit doubles early in your at bat; you're trying to do damage. When we get to two strikes, instead of your at bat, it becomes our team's at bat. We want to get on top of the plate, get off the knob, try to hit the ball down. We're just trying to get them to simplify and force contact because high school kids don't always make routine plays, so you want to force them to make a play. Crosby does a really good job at that; he uses his hands so well, and he is a tough guy to get out because he doesn't pull off, he stays in the middle, and he's the same guy all the time. If the bases are loaded with no outs and it's a tie game in the bottom of the seventh or if you're up by 15, he's going up with the same approach. It's hard to hit a round ball on a round barrel, but he's done a really good job at it.

Timmons and the Wolverines return from spring break for a region matchup with Mullins on Tuesday as they look to keep the good times rolling with the playoffs right around the corner.

"It's huge to have a week like that. You never want to have a week going into a week of no baseball feeling like you played badly because you can carry that into the next week," he said. "It's just big for us that we were able to get it done in that game against South Florence. We're going to take that momentum and just keep riding."