4/26/2008 - Roadrunner Close Regular Season with Sweep of Bossier
Parish
SHREVEPORT – Why bother with all those innings in a baseball game?
The Angelina College Roadrunners apparently need only the final two or
three frames.
The ‘Runners, who finish the regular season with a 31-16, 20-8 record,
used a three-run seventh inning to win the opener against Bossier
Parish Community College 3-1; then used a seven-run eighth to win 9-2
and complete the sweep of the Cavs at Fair Grounds Field in
Shreveport.
AC needed just one of the two to lock down the second seed in the
upcoming Region XIV tournament; they accomplished that with Game 1’s
come-from-behind thriller.
Trailing 1-0 against BPCC ace T.J. Forrest – who had allowed just five
AC hits through the first six innings – AC’s Ryan Kelley led off the
top of the seventh with a triple off the right-field wall. Joey
Latulippe then fought off a tough two-strike pitch to poke an RBI
single to right an scored on a bang-bang play at the plate ahead of
Michael Padgett’s long double to left center. Padgett tagged on a fly
ball by Chris Laird and scored on Austin Lasprilla’s single.
That rally made a winner of Jason Gurka, who struck out 13 in pitching
a complete game. Gurka allowed six Cavalier hits, but the one BPCC run
was unearned, and the Roadrunners clinched their playoff seeding with
the 3-1 win.
With the pressure off, it would have been easy for the ‘Runners to
concede a game in the nightcap. And for the first seven innings, it
appeared as if they had little choice, with Cav starter Jordan LeGros
holding AC to just two runs over the first seven innings. Lasprilla
led off the game with a hustle double, stole third and scored on Mark
Serna’s RBI groundout. The Roadrunners added another run in the sixth,
taking advantage of a LeGros injury that exposed the Cav bullpen.
Reliever Moses Munoz walkd the first two batters he faced, and a pair
of passed balls and an infield error allowed Ryan Kelley to score AC’s
second run.
But in the eighth, the ‘Runners sent 13 men to the plate, getting
seven hits to plate seven runs. Designated hitter Chase Hernandez, who
went 3-for-4 in the nightcap, doubled in one of those runs. Matt
Thielepape had three hits in five at-bats and also drove in a run
during the big inning.
AC starting pitcher Trey Rackel was the big beneficiary, earning the
win after allowing two Cav runs over seven innings. Ryland Parker
polished off the sweep with two innings of scoreless relief.
The Roadrunners will play at least one tune-up series with
non-conference foe Cedar Valley before heading to the Region XIV
Tournament in Mt. Pleasant beginning on May 10th. AC will face Wharton
in the first round.
Game times and dates will be announced.
 |
| A SHOT OF RY – Angelina College
pitcher Ryland Parker delivers during Saturday’s nightcap against
Bossier Parish. The Roadrunners used late-inning fireworks in both
games to earn the 3-1 and 9-2 sweep and lock in the No. 2 seed in
the Region XIV tournament. |
