Say DeGrace

By Mike Kays
Phoenix Sports Editor

WARNER May 17, 2008 12:35 am

— By Mike Kays
Phoenix Sports Editor

WARNER -- Perry Keith has talked often about his team’s unshakeable approach to the game of baseball this season. Friday’s opener of the South Central District tournament at Biff Thompson Field challenged that not only with his players, but was enough to give the veteran coach a dance with anxiety.
Connors State survived in a 5-4 victory over Delgado Community College of New Orleans, La., by shaking off a 21-minute protest delay, inconsistent pitching and an offense which struggled to record just three hits in the contest, but answered at the right times.
Then in the nightcap, Keith watched his team build a 6-0 lead that grew to 9-2 before Crowder (Mo.) scored three consecutive runs and at one point in the ninth, faced the Riders’ cleanup hitter with no outs but escaped with a 9-5 win.
“Never a dull moment,” Keith said. “At least we can get out of this thing Saturday.”
With Crowder eliminated, the Cowboys (46-17) will see Delgado (33-17) again at 2 p.m. today, needing a win there or in the proverbial “if necessary” game at 1 p.m. Sunday to earn their fourth trip to the NJCAA World Series. Delgado beat Crowder 9-4 in Friday’s second contest., with the Riders hurting themselves with four errors -- equaling their miscues in their second game.
Back to the opener. Kyle DeGrace’s double off the center field wall with two outs and the bases loaded put Connors up 3-0. Then, trailing 4-3 in the sixth and after Oktaha High School grad Brett Thompson’s sinking line drive to center field fell in to load the bases, Brock Feldmann’s sacrifice fly scored Justin Worby, who got the inning started with a one-out single. Brett Coffman then gave the Cowboys the lead again when he scored on a passed ball.
But Delgado grabbed the lead with a four-run fifth against Cowboys starting pitcher Dustin Williams. After Williams had struck out the first two batters of the inning, his ninth and 10th of the game, he gave up back-to-back walks to Josh Liberto and Justin Aldridge.
That brought up Max Ladet, who hit a hard hopper that bounced off the handle of Tyler Tuthill at third and caromed toward shortstop where Feldmann made the scoop. His throw, however, skipped by DeGrace at first and into the dugout. That scored Liberto and put Aldridge and Ladet in scoring position.
Delgado coach Joe Schuermann argued that Aldridge should have been given home, having reached second on the error, instead of having to remain at third.
“There were two plays on the ball. I asked him if it was his understanding that (Aldridge) had second on the throw and he said yes. That should have sent (Aldridge) home,” Schuermann said. “I read the rule, I’ve been through this before this season where it went against us so I know what it’s supposed to be.”
Keith just shrugged.
“It’s the base he was going to plus one,” Keith said. “I didn’t understand the delay though. Why it took so long to get it done, I have no idea, but what it did was freeze Dustin Williams and then all of it became irrelevant anyway.”
Exactly. Williams’ next pitch was drilled into right field for a two-run single by Ryan Scott. Two pitches later, Scott scored on a double to center by Craig Schnell.
Williams lasted three batters into the sixth after giving up three hits and eight walks in addition to the 10 strikeouts. Carter Lance came on to get the Cowboys out of a two-on, one-out jam by getting Aldridge on a grounder to Thompson, who turned a 4-6-3 double play.
Lance finished the contest, retiring the side in order in the seventh, leaving one on in the eighth and escaped a two-out double by Lebet in the ninth.
“The way things were going, yeah, it was hard not to be a little nervous,” said Lance, a Conway, Ark., sophomore. “But if you have confidence in yourself and your team and knowing we’ve been through this before, that keeps you from pressing. We just did what we needed to.”

Connors 9, Crowder 5

Miscues continued to plague Crowder, a regional champion for the first time since 1991, in its elimination game. The Riders outhit Connors 13-11, but committed four errors, including one in a messy six-run first inning.
Connors scored runs on a passed ball, wild pitch and overthrown pickoff attempt after another wild pitch . Brandon Smith had an RBI double and Michael Zurmehly an RBI single before the battery implosion between pitcher Daniel Golden and catcher Bubby Williams allowed Smith, Worby and Coffman to score.
That’s all Cowboys pitcher Shane Cameron needed in moving his record to 11-2, save for a slight scare in the ninth. Cameron walked two and struck out six.
Tyler Anglin’s two-run single to center field in the sixth cut Connors’ lead to 6-2. Cameron gave up two more runs in the eighth off a double by Tanner Pogue to lead off the inning, an RBI double by Williams and a single to left by Richie McVey.
A pair of leadoff doubles in the ninth led to another run and Crowder actually got the tying run to the plate in Williams, it’s No. 4 hitter, with the bases loaded. Cameron retired him on strikes then got Will McGinnis to fly out to end the game.
“I was looking to get Shane out of there, but I have a lot of confidence in our catchers and Zane (Williams) told me he was OK, and he was still throwing strikes,” he said. “He may not be pretty at times but he battles the whole way.”

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