By By Cassie Chance/Special to The Star
March 23, 2001
Maybe the motto for Chris Harper's Northeast Lauderdale Trojans should be "Don't give up, Don't ever give up."
The Trojans faced Division 5-4A rival South Jones on Thursday night at Glenn Frazier Field in a makeup game from the recent bad weather. Northeast entered the game with a 2-1 division record and were hoping to improve on the season. In a game that lasted nearly four hours, the Trojans used a seventh inning five run rally to take a slim 14-13 win over the Braves.
Northeast jumped out to an early 2-0 lead on a two-run home run by Drew Anderson. The Braves answered back to gain a score off of a wild pitch in their half of the second to narrow the Trojans' lead.
However, Northeast used a triple by Phillip Garrett to plate Kyle Stoddard. Garrett then came home on Anderson's double. Chase Spencer added a double of his own to the hit fest to give the Trojans a 6-1 lead at the end of two innings.
The Braves came back in the third frame to score four runs to cut the Trojan advantage to just one run. Northeast went down one, two, three in the third and South Jones took a 7-6 lead after five innings. The sixth saw the Braves add on to their lead by scoring three more. The bottom half of the inning began with an altercation that led to one Northeast out before the Trojans rallied to score three runs.
South Jones could only manage to tack on three runs in its half of the seventh inning. Northeast was then faced with a hit and score situation.
With just half an inning of play remaining in regulation, the Braves had charged ahead 13-9. With only one out in the inning, Northeast gained two of the five runs it needed on scores by Garrett and Leister.
Then, pinch hitter Kenny Wesley stepped up to the plate and delivered a bunt, which scored two runs from Anderson and Will Gardner to tie the game at 13.
Wesley reached third on errors. With two outs in the seventh inning, Stoddard hit a fly ball to shallow right field and Wesley scored from third to give the Trojans the 14-13 win.
Scott Robertson led South Jones with a 3-for-5 outing by hitting a double and two triples.
Nick Fox was 2-for-5 with a double, as was Chris Welch and Jon Robertson. Corey Benoit, Drew Tanner, and Kelley Rounsaville all went 1-for 5.
Northeast was led by Anderson's 4-for-5 performance, which included two home runs and a double.
Adam Leister also went 4-for-5 from the plate. Garrett added a triple in his 2-for-5 outing. Gardner also hit 2-for-5.
Stoddard contributed for a 1-for-5 trip to the plate, while Kenny Wesley's 1-for-1 performance and only at bat scored the tying run to give the Trojans the win.
Northeast will host Morton tonight at 5 and 7 p.m.