Lions knocked around early in loss to CAC
Posted on Saturday, May 10, 2008
JONESBORO - Gravette went into Friday's opening-round 4 A state baseball tournament game at Tomlinson Stadium with hopes of playing tournament host Valley View in the second round.
What the Lions didn't count on was a shaky first inning from its ace pitcher and leaving 10 runners on base. The latter was the ultimate undoing for Gravette in a 5-1 loss to Central Arkansas Christian on Friday on the campus of Arkansas State University. Gravette (21-9 ) pitcher Ethan McKinzie struggled in the first inning.
After CAC leadoff batter John Edwards reached on error, Mitchell Powers drove him in with a double down the third base line and the Mustangs took and early 1-0 lead.
Two batters later Geno Jameson knocked in Powers on a single up the middle and Brook Ashford brought Jameson around to score on a tworun home run that sailed over the 335 foot sign in left field to give CAC a 4-0 lead.
"Maybe we had a little jitters, but I really don't know," Gravette coach Vernon Scott said. "I didn't see anything that we could have done differently to prevent what happened from happening.
"In the first inning is when most teams have got on McKinzie and it seems as he goes further into the game he gets stronger."
Gravette's leadoff hitter Dillon Pruitt reached in the bottom half of the inning and made it to third base, but was stranded there after the Li- ons 3-4-5 hitters all flied out to the outfield.
Gravette would have another opportunity in the third inning when it loaded the bases with two outs, but Brett Meek popped up to the third baseman.
The Lions loaded the bases again in the sixth with one out, but failed to plate any of the runners.
"That was the key to the game," Scott said about leaving runners on base. "We had some hits, but not timely hits."
McKinzie (8-3 ) settled down after his first inning struggles and didn't allow another run until the fifth inning. In seven innings the junior pitcher struck out 9 batters, allowed 7 hits and walked just 1.
Gravette's only run came in the seventh inning when McKinzie knocked in Quintin Eden with a single to left. The Lions had just 5 hits in the game and struggled to time CAC pitcher Ian Bryan's curve ball.
Bryan pitched 6 2 / 3 innings before giving way to Bryce Biggerstaff.
"He kept us offbalance and took our power away," Scott said of Bryan. "We hit some hard balls but they were right at them, too.
"They brought in their ace at the end and the guys were kind of saying they wished they would have brought him in a little earlier because we tend to hit the harder stuff a little bit better."
Gravette will return all but one player next year and Scott feels his team will be ready to make another run at the state title.
"I have nothing but great things to say about this team and I am just proud to be apart of it," Scott said. "They have made me and coach (Dustin ) Dean look really good. They have presented themselves really good everywhere we have gone and they are just a classy group of boys. I look forward to next season because I believe that we will be back here and I think they want that."
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