By By Austin Bishop/Special To The Star
April 24, 2001
Twice the Lamar School Raiders came just inches from making "Senior Day" a successful one on Monday night, but instead, visiting Jackson Prep managed to come away with a 4-2 win at Jim Wall Field.
The game ended with Prep center fielder Jay Liles making a stumbling catch at the base of the center field wall of what looked like a sure game-tying double off the bat of senior Jared McKee.
After a fly out to begin the top of the seventh, Ryan Satcher singled and then moved to second when Monroe Mayfield reached on an error.
After another out, McKee drilled the ball on a line to the deepest part of the ball park but Liles was able to run it down and make the play.
With Lamar trailing 3-0 in the bottom of the sixth, it looked like the Raiders were going to take the lead in the game at that point.
Lamar used an error and two walks to load the bases with no outs.
Nick Lisi then scored Mayfield with a sacrifice fly.
Bobby Stone followed with a drive to left-center that hit just inches below the top of the fence and stayed in the ball park for a double, scoring Jeff Knight. If it had cleared the fence the Raiders would have taken a one-run lead.
Prep opened the seventh with back-to-back doubles to go up 4-2 and then held off the late Lamar rally to take the win.
After the visiting Patriots scored a single run in the top of the first, it looked like Lamar was going to jump all over the Prep starter.
Justin Brewer led off the inning with a walk and Satcher and Mayfield followed with singles to load the bases with nobody out.
Knight then crushed a line drive to third base that was snagged and turned into a double play.
The next batter grounded out to end the inning.
Prep drew a bases-loaded walk to make it 2-0 in the third, but the Raiders loaded the bases again in the fourth thanks to three walks. But with one out, the Patriots retired the next two hitters on fly balls to end the threat once again.
Lamar ends its season on Thursday when the Raiders travel to Madden to take on Leake Academy. The varsity game is set to begin at 6 p.m.