|
Boshears drives in winning run in seventh inning |
|
|
Wednesday, 02 April 2008 |
|
By Bruce Guthrie Courier Sports The Miners giveth, and the Miners taketh away.
After falling behind twice in the last two innings, a walk-off single by first baseman Max Boshears pushed across the winning run in the bottom of the seventh inning to beat the Poyen Indians 5-4 at Dawson Field.
The game stayed scoreless in the first five innings behind the masterful pitching of Alex Mann who finished the game throwing six innings allowing five hits while striking out four and walking two.
Poyen got a man on second then hit back-to-back doubles to take what appeared to be an insurmountable 2-0 lead.
That’s when the Miners went to work. Bauxite answered with three runs in the bottom half of the sixth. Brooks led off with a single to right. A walk to Blake Childress set up Ryan Dunlap with a chance to move over the runners. Dunlap did better than that. His bunt to the left side got past the Poyen pitcher. The Miners’ centerfielder used his speed to get to first and load the bases for Austin Hicks.
Hicks hit a ground ball to third. The Indian third baseman threw wildly to home trying to get Brooks, but couldn’t.
Then Miners’ head coach Josh Harrison pulled out his bag of tricks and called a straight steal with the bases loaded. It worked as Childress tied the score with a straight steal of home plate with Boshears up to bat. Boshears followed Childress’ play with a sacrifice fly that drove in Dunlap giving what looked like would be a big win.
They needed three outs for the victory, but couldn’t get them before Poyen had re-taken the lead with two runs thanks to some defensive breakdowns following a catchers’ interference call.
Down by a run again, the bottom of the Miners’ order did what the top did in the previous inning. Nine-hole hitter Trevor Pendleton drew a leadoff walk. Brooks then came to the plate and hit a double-play ball that the Indian second baseman bobbled allowing both runners to reach safely.
Base running to go along with a controversial call by the umpire at third base put Pendleton at third base. Dunlap then stepped in and got another infield hit that drove in Pendleton tying the score at four. That’s when Boshears stepped in and ended the game with his single that plated Brooks.
The Miners travel to Conway for a make-up of Monday’s rainout at St. Joes.
|
Razorbacks