Payette loses 3A third place game 7-4 to Sugar-Salem
Pirates lose lead late
By Matthew Neal
Argus Observer
Sunday, May 18, 2008 4:36 AM PDT
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| Pirate second baseman Tobby White fires to first baseman Travis Blackwell for the out at firstbase during Payette’s 7-4 loss during game ten of the 2008 State Baseball Championship Tournament in Ontario Saturday. The Pirates finished the season in fourth place. |
ONTARIO - After a fourth-place finish in 2007, the Pirates found themselves in the exact same place this year: in fourth place. Sugar-Salem beat Payette 7-4 in the final game of the Pirate’s 2008 season.
The Diggers’ pitcher Jordon Hepworth hit a three-run home run off Brad Huddleston in the first inning, creating a barrier the Pirates could never breach.
In the bottom of the third, Digger Hadley Wright hit an RBI double, brining the score to 4-0. In the next inning, Kacee Hirchert drew a walk. Travis Blackwell singled, bringing home Hirchert. Designated hitter Drake Serrano put down a sacrifice bunt to bring home Blackwell to cut the lead in half to 4-2.
Sugar-Salem came up with two more runs in the bottom half of the fourth, making it 5-2. In the Pirates’ next at-bat, Pitcher Brad Pollock reached on an error. With two outs, Hirchert hit an RBI single to center which scored Pollock. Blackwell struckout on a wild pitch and then stole first base and Hirchert came home. The Pirates were down one run.
The Diggers put up three more runs in the bottom of the inning and led the rest of the way 7-4.
Hirchert ended the game after battling through eight pitches, including four foul balls. He went down swinging to end the Pirates season.
“I think we could have done way better,” Hirchert said. “We had a melt down in the Bear Lake game, but we will be back next year.” Hirchert went 1-for-3 with and RBI.
Pirate pitcher Brad Huddleston had seven strikeouts and three walks.
“I wish we could have done just a little bit better,” Huddleston said. “But you get what you get, we were all but there, we were right on the brink.”
Payette’s first baseman Blackwell said he felt like they left it on the field.
“We still stayed together as a team playing against a great pitcher. We came closer to accomplishing what we wanted to accomplish this year than last year,” Blackwell said. “I hope we can make it to the championship next year.”
Jordan Hepworth had nine strikeouts and four walks and earned the win for the Diggers. Sugar-Salem also logged nine hits and one error while the Pirates had four hits with four errors.
“I thought we played pretty well,” Payette’s head coach Tracy Bratcher said. “Huddleston came out and gave us the chance to win. Offensively, guys stepped up. I’m really proud of these guys ,but we always want more.”
