July 23, 2014 at 2:10 p.m.
Patriots rally vs. Central (05/04/05)
JCHS baseball
Patriots rally vs. Central (05/04/05)
By By RAY COONEY-
PORTLAND — Clint Von Dielingen’s team started off like Hulk Hogan. It finished more like the Brooklyn Brawler.
Von Dielingen, a part-time professional wrestler with Ohio Valley Wrestling, watched his Muncie Central Bearcat baseball team jump out to a 4-0 lead Tuesday. But, Trent Bailey and Josh Atkinson locked down later, holding the visitors hitless in the final four innings as Jay County rallied for a 6-5 win.
“We haven’t hit the ball really all year,” said Von Dielingen, whose team dropped to 9-5. “We got the lead, put it on cruise control and then didn’t hit.”
The Patriots (5-7) gave up four runs in the first inning as Danny Burton, Ty Riddle, Ty Gard, Marcus Gard and Eric Lowe hit consecutive singles after Bailey struck out Chase Williamson to open the game. Marcus Gard’s single brought in Burton with the first run, and Lowe’s cleared the bases for the other three as the ball got past left fielder Rhett Retter.
Central scored its only other run with an RBI double from Lowe in the third inning, which pushed the team’s lead to 5-3. But, Bailey clamped down after that.
The Bearcats got base runners thanks to errors in the fourth and fifth innings, but Bailey kept them hitless and scoreless before handing the ball off to Atkinson.
Atkinson retired six of the seven batters he faced, allowing only a sixth-inning walk to Williamson.
“The first inning was rough, but (Bailey) held his composure and kept us in it until the bats came alive,” said JCHS coach Lea Selvey. “Atkinson came in and did the job in relief.”
Jay County’s offense started hitting Muncie Central starter Austin Ray in the second inning after freshman catcher Josh Ludy drew a leadoff walk. Retter followed with a single, and designated hitter Josh Shatto added an RBI double to left field.
Andy Hughes then knocked an RBI single, and Cory Locke drove in a third run on a fielder’s choice.
After falling behind by two again on the Lowe double, the Patriots immediately closed the gap again as Keen led off the bottom of the third inning with an infield single. He stole second base, and scored three batters later on an RBI single to right field by Retter.
After Bailey held strong on the mound the offense delivered him the victory. Keen singled to center to open the fifth inning and Eric Somers hit a single to left.
Ludy brought in a run with a ground out to Ty Gard at shortstop, leaving Somers at third base as the winning run with just one out. Retter hit a ground ball to first baseman Kevin Woodfin, who chose to try to cut down Somers at home. But the senior slid in just ahead of the tag from Lowe to give Jay County a 6-5 lead, which Atkinson held on to in the final two frames.
Selvey said he was proud of the way his team fought back after falling into the large deficit.
“We’re starting to look like a baseball team,” he said of the Patriots, who have now won three of their last four games. “We’re not the same team we were two or three weeks ago.”
Retter finished 2-for-3 with two RBIs and a run, Keen was 2-for-3 with a run and Bailey also had two hits.
Jay County will try to pull within a game of .500 Thursday when it travels to Fort Recovery for a junior varsity/varsity double-header. The JV game will begin at 4 p.m. (5 p.m. Ohio time), and the varsity game will follow.
Lowe powered the Central offense, finished 2-for-3 with three RBIs. Ty Gard had two hits and two runs.
Ray took the defeat, giving up six runs on 10 hits in six innings. He struck out two and walked one.[[In-content Ad]]
Von Dielingen, a part-time professional wrestler with Ohio Valley Wrestling, watched his Muncie Central Bearcat baseball team jump out to a 4-0 lead Tuesday. But, Trent Bailey and Josh Atkinson locked down later, holding the visitors hitless in the final four innings as Jay County rallied for a 6-5 win.
“We haven’t hit the ball really all year,” said Von Dielingen, whose team dropped to 9-5. “We got the lead, put it on cruise control and then didn’t hit.”
The Patriots (5-7) gave up four runs in the first inning as Danny Burton, Ty Riddle, Ty Gard, Marcus Gard and Eric Lowe hit consecutive singles after Bailey struck out Chase Williamson to open the game. Marcus Gard’s single brought in Burton with the first run, and Lowe’s cleared the bases for the other three as the ball got past left fielder Rhett Retter.
Central scored its only other run with an RBI double from Lowe in the third inning, which pushed the team’s lead to 5-3. But, Bailey clamped down after that.
The Bearcats got base runners thanks to errors in the fourth and fifth innings, but Bailey kept them hitless and scoreless before handing the ball off to Atkinson.
Atkinson retired six of the seven batters he faced, allowing only a sixth-inning walk to Williamson.
“The first inning was rough, but (Bailey) held his composure and kept us in it until the bats came alive,” said JCHS coach Lea Selvey. “Atkinson came in and did the job in relief.”
Jay County’s offense started hitting Muncie Central starter Austin Ray in the second inning after freshman catcher Josh Ludy drew a leadoff walk. Retter followed with a single, and designated hitter Josh Shatto added an RBI double to left field.
Andy Hughes then knocked an RBI single, and Cory Locke drove in a third run on a fielder’s choice.
After falling behind by two again on the Lowe double, the Patriots immediately closed the gap again as Keen led off the bottom of the third inning with an infield single. He stole second base, and scored three batters later on an RBI single to right field by Retter.
After Bailey held strong on the mound the offense delivered him the victory. Keen singled to center to open the fifth inning and Eric Somers hit a single to left.
Ludy brought in a run with a ground out to Ty Gard at shortstop, leaving Somers at third base as the winning run with just one out. Retter hit a ground ball to first baseman Kevin Woodfin, who chose to try to cut down Somers at home. But the senior slid in just ahead of the tag from Lowe to give Jay County a 6-5 lead, which Atkinson held on to in the final two frames.
Selvey said he was proud of the way his team fought back after falling into the large deficit.
“We’re starting to look like a baseball team,” he said of the Patriots, who have now won three of their last four games. “We’re not the same team we were two or three weeks ago.”
Retter finished 2-for-3 with two RBIs and a run, Keen was 2-for-3 with a run and Bailey also had two hits.
Jay County will try to pull within a game of .500 Thursday when it travels to Fort Recovery for a junior varsity/varsity double-header. The JV game will begin at 4 p.m. (5 p.m. Ohio time), and the varsity game will follow.
Lowe powered the Central offense, finished 2-for-3 with three RBIs. Ty Gard had two hits and two runs.
Ray took the defeat, giving up six runs on 10 hits in six innings. He struck out two and walked one.[[In-content Ad]]
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