4/6/2008 - ‘Runners Take Tenth Straight
Angelina College’s Keith Prestridge got a chance at redemption, and he
made the most of it.
After failing on an earlier sacrifice bunt attempt in the ninth inning
of a 5-5 game against Paris, the sophomore from Houston’s
Cypress-Fairbanks dropped a perfect attempt in the 11th inning, moving
Paul Prestera into scoring position. After an intentional walk to Matt
Thielepape, Prestridge’s efforts paid off when Jake Rowell chopped a
ground ball to first base, allowing Prestera’s feet-first, backdoor
slide to score the winning run and give AC the 6-5 win in extra
innings.
That win, combined with the Roadrunners’ 7-1 victory in the opener,
gave AC a sweep of the Dragons and the team’s tenth straight win in
conference play.
“Baseball’s a funny game, just because so many times it comes around
to give you another opportunity,” head coach Jeff Livin said. “Keith’s
first bunt was perfect; he just laid it down the wrong side of the
infield. He took advantage of his second chance, and that was huge for
us.”
The ‘Runners had built a 4-1 lead early on a sac fly from Prestridge,
an RBI single from Chris Laird – following a perfectly executed
hit-and-run by Bryan Mallett – an RBI double by Jake Rowell and a
run-scoring single from Ryan Kelley.
But the Dragons, shut down by Jason Gurka in the first game, battled
back with a four-run sixth inning to take a 5-4 lead. Andy Robinson
singled, Bryce Peterman and Jonathan Dalallio walked on eight pitches
from Trey Rackel, and Beau Bentley lined a shot down the right-field
line that just eluded a diving Prestridge. Three runs scored on the
play, and Bentley trotted home ahead of Justin Miller’s single.
The Roadrunners tied the score in the seventh on Chris Laird’s solo
homer over the right field wall. They’d get a chance to win in the
last half of the ninth when Thielepape reached on an error; but
Prestridge’s bunt attempt was played into a force at second, and the
next two ‘Runner hitters went down in order.
Frank Corolla, who has spent the entire season in the starting
rotation, resumed his old role as closer, coming on in the 10th and
11th innings and shutting down the Dragons to pick up the win with
just 1 1/3 innings of work.
That set up the big finale in the 11th. Prestera’s high looper dropped
for a double, and Prestridge moved him over with a textbook bunt.
Rowell’s chopper to first was hit just slowly enough to allow the
speedy Prestera to beat the throw home in a bang-bang play.
“We needed to know we could win a tight one like this,” Livin said.
“You have to do the little things sometimes, and those can be the
difference between winning and losing a one-run game.”
In the opener, Gurka tossed his third straight gem, going the distance
while striking out 10 and scattering just five hits. His run support
came from three Dragon first-inning errors leading to four runs; and
RBIs from Rowell, Joey Latulippe, Prestera, Laird and Andreas on
another solo homer. Kelley finished that game with two singles in
three official trips, as did Rowell.
AC (22-12-2, 11-5) will host Texarkana Wednesday in a doubleheaders
scheduled for a noon start.
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Angelina College right fielder
Keith Prestridge makes a diving attempt of a liner off the bat of
Paris’ Beau Bentley during Saturday’s nightcap at Roadrunner
Field. The ‘Runners won an 11-inning thriller 6-5 – after knocking
off the Dragons 7-1 in the opener – for the team’s tenth straight
conference win. |
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Angelina College shortstop Chris
Laird takes a tricky hop during Saturday’s nightcap at Roadrunner
Field. The ‘Runners won an 11-inning thriller 6-5 – after knocking
off the Dragons 7-1 in the opener – for the team’s tenth straight
conference win. |
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Angelina College’s Chris Andreas
crosses the plate to teammates’ greetings after blasting a solo
homer to tie the game during Saturday’s nightcap at Roadrunner
Field. The ‘Runners won an 11-inning thriller 6-5 – after knocking
off the Dragons 7-1 in the opener – for the team’s tenth straight
conference win. |
