Warrior miscues lead to Rebel mercy-rule win
Published 12:53 am Wednesday, March 11, 2020
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Star Photo / Brandon Hyde Warrior shortstop Jacob Absher gets the out at first after scooping up a grounder.
Star Photo / Brandon Hyde Will Tittle steals second base for the Warriors Monday at home.
Star Photo / Brandon Hyde Warrior center fielder Andrew Little makes a spectacular grab on a line drive to center for an out.
Star Photo/Brandon Hyde Happy Valley's first baseman scoops up the baseball just behind the bag.
Star Photo / Brandon Hyde WarrIors pitcher Eli Ayers had a busy day for Happy Valley at home against the Rebels.
BY ALLEN LAMOUNTAIN
STAR CORRESPONDENT
More than a year removed from playing ball at Cannon Gouge Park the Happy Valley Warriors made an inauspicious return.
Five first-inning errors opened the floodgates to eight Sullivan South runs and the Warriors made eight in all as the Rebels took a 13-3 win.
“I don’t know if you can chalk it up to jitters, and I don’t want to make any excuses,” said Warriors head coach Todd Caldwell. “We have to come out of the gate better than that.
“We talked after our last scrimmage with Tennessee High that we had to cut down on strikeouts. We did that today. I think we only struck out four or five times, but we have to do a better job of limiting the big inning and making the routine play.”
Junior Eli Ayers (0-1) was victimized by four infield errors and one big outfield miscue as the Rebels put up a snowman in the top of the first on only three hits which aided senior righthander Jacob Light (1-0) in his outing.
“I got a lot of ground balls and let my defense play behind me,” Light said. “I felt great going into the first inning with an eight-run lead. I just tried to throw my fastball by them.”
Light had nine ground ball outs in this one while striking out three. He walked five in his five innings of work before giving way to Isaac Haynie in the sixth.
Shortstop Jacob Absher tripled to lead off the HV first and scored on a ground ball from Dylan Willis but that was all the Warriors (0-1) could manage until the fifth frame.
A one-out double by Brody Ratliff got South on the board in the second frame and he came around on an RBI single from Sean Reed for a 9-1 South advantage.
South extended to a 12-1 lead in the top of the fifth on an infield error, a single from Eli Jennings which was booted in right field for a two-base error allowing one run to score and putting Jennings at third.
A sacrifice fly off the bat of Jackson McGee brought home the second run of the frame and an RBI single from Marshall Buchanan made it a 12-1 contest.
To their credit HV rallied for a pair of runs that extended the game on singles from Absher and Willis – a throwing error by South catcher McGee – and an RBI ground ball from Hunter Smith to make it 12-3.
McGee drove in the final run of the game with a sixth-inning double.
“The great thing about baseball is you get to put this one behind you, and come back tomorrow with a clean slate,” Caldwell said. “We’ll play them at their place and try to come back with a W.”
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Sullivan South 13-3
Sullivan South 810 031 – 13 10 1
Happy Valley 100 020 – 3 3 8
W – Light (1-0). L – Ayers (0-1).
