THE DOOR ON SOUTH WARREN
IN THE SEVENTH INNING.
VERSATILE GATAHS OVERCOME EARLY 5-1 DEFICIT; SOUTH FACES LOGAN COUNTY ON THURSDAY
They lingered around their dugout, for 20 minutes or so, after Monday’s devastating defeat at Corey Hart Ballpark/Aaron Fletcher Field.
Greenwood failed to hold a 5-0 lead, through four innings, as crosstown rival South Warren rallied to claim a gritty 7-5 victory in both squads’ district opener.
Twenty-hours later, the stakes were higher.
Particularly in the Gatahs’ camp.
Greenwood turned the tables on the Spartans, this time, as the Gators obliterated a 5-1 lead in the top of the fourth inning Tuesday night at South Warren Ballpark. A six-spot made it 7-5 — doesn’t that sound familiar — but Greenwood coach Jason Jaggers’ squad showed plenty of resolve in turning back the Spartans, 11-8, while squaring the KHSAA 14th District series at one game apiece.
Greenwood (14-7 overall, 1-1 in district) will be on the road to face Butler County on Thursday, while the Spartans (13-8, 1-1) will travel to Logan County and Franklin-Simpson on back-to-back nights, starting Thursday, before resuming KHSAA 14th District play on Monday at Warren Central (1-13, 0-2).
AN EARLY DEFICIT WITH SIX RUNS IN THE FOURTH.
BY THE DAILY NEWS’ MICHEAL COMPTON.
WENT 2-FOR-4 WITH FOUR RBI
AND THREE RUNS SCORED.
A GREENWOOD TRADITION
TWO OR THREE YEARS AGO ..
“I’m proud of my guys,” Jaggers said when it was over. “It was pretty upsetting, last night. I felt like we gave one away.
“I told this group before the game, ‘You’re a resilient group. Just go out there and show it.’ And they were able to do that tonight.”
In what boiled down to a battle of pitching attrition, Greenwood’s Mason Crosby and Chaze Huff got their squad in a position to win, and then senior reliever Henry Justice turned in three strong innings as the Gators could take a decisive victory on the road.
Next week, Greenwood will tangle with Bowling Green (18-1, 2-0 in the KHSAA’s 14th DIstrict) in a two-game series starting Monday. They’ll continue the “Play For Mason” night, when both squads honor the late Mason Goodnight, while wearing similar uniform tops, on Tuesday night at the Purples’ Harold J. Stahl Field.
Jaggers had reason to be encouraged after the Gators played steady defense while getting the leadoff man on base in five consecutive innings. Greenwood is adept at running the bases, and the Gatahs capitalized on a critical fourth-inning error, bringing two runs across the plate in what turned out to be a 6-spot for the visiting team.
ADDRESSES HIS SQUAD AFTER
TUESDAY’s 11-8 LOSS TO GREENWOOD.
THE TAG FROM SOUTH’s CAMDEN PAGE.
IS FLANKED BY FELLOW GHS SENIORS
CHAZE HUFF (LEFT) AND HENRY JUSTICE.
“They hit a lot of balls that found holes,” South Warren coach Chris Gage said.
Greenwood shortstop Whit Glassick, who went 2-for-3 with three RBI, believes the Gators put Monday night’s game behind them when they left the park.
“We came out, ready to rock tonight,” Glassick said. “We just had to have confidence in ourselves, that we could bounce back.”
But that’s exactly what the Gators did.
The Spartans got off to a promising start, tying the game at 1 on Alex Miller’s RBI grounder in the bottom of the first inning.
In the second, South outfielder Jax Decker delivered a solo home run, his first of the season after getting a late start because of basketball injuries.
The Gators had six consecutive batters reach safely, while capitalizing on two critical South Warren errors, in grabbing a 7-5 lead in the top of the fourth.
And as fate would have it, South Warren went back in front, 8-7, when junior outfielder Brandon ‘Junior’ Perkins went yard, a three-run shot, with a home run that sailed over the waist-high fence in left field.
Greenwood would answer, with three runs in the top of the fifth, to grab a 10-8 lead.
Greenwood’s Whit Glossick drew a bases-loaded walk, driving in the first run of the inning, before senior outfielder/pitcher Chaze Huff lined a two-run single into center field. Greenwood coach Jason Jaggers gave the ball to versatile Gators senior Henry Justice at that point, and Justice was served in the Gators’ dugout.
Or something like that.
UNLOADED A THREE-RUN HOME RUN
IN THE BOTTOM OF THE FOURTH INNING …
IN FRONT, 8-7, BUT THAT LEAD
WOULD BE SHORT-LIVED …
THE LATE INNINGS TO SQUARE THE SERIES.
“Henry Justice was lights out,” Jaggers said afterward.
Huff was a bit philosophical about the two-game split, one third of the way into the tight district schedule.
“We got it done, that’s all that matters,” Huff said.
With the Bowling Green series glimmering in the distance, the Gatahs picked up a sense of confidence they’ll likely need, next week, when the high-profile series begins Monday on the new-look Greenwood High School campus.
(From Scottsville Road, it almost looks like a brand-new facility, with the completion of multiple construction projects.)
EARNED HIS FIRST SAVE OF THE SEASON.
TO STAY ACTIVE
ON THE BASEPATHS.
COULD BE OPPONENTS AGAIN IN
THE 14th DISTRICT TOURNAMENT …
SUCCESFULLY MAKING THE TRANSITION
FROM THIRD BASE TO SHORTSTOP AT SOUTH.
Sophomore left-hander Tanner King, the Spartans’ starting pitcher, took the loss, dropping to 3-1 on the season. South has designs on a return trip to the KHSAA state tournament, but the Spartans are definitely a work in progress.
“I thought (our pitchers) pounded the zone, but we didn’t get many calls,” South Warren coach Chris Gage said. “We’ve just got to bounce back and get ready for Logan County and Franklin-Simpson.”
It figures to be yet another tight race in the 14th District.
Buckle up.
KHSAA 14th DISTRICT PLAY
NEXT WEEK AGAINST WARREN CENTRAL.
OR THE DOG PARK, WHICHEVER COMES FIRST …