By By Marty Stamper/The Meridian Star
May 15, 2001
INDEPENDENCE With the State 3A baseball championship on the line, West Lauderdale coach Jerry Boatner needed someone to step up and take charge Monday night.
The 36-5 Knights were certainly challenged here in the final game of the series with Independence. Leading hitter Brad McKee was limited to a courtesy runner role due to a broken finger suffered in Game 2 of the series; and, Knight ace Todd Doolittle was about spent after tossing an 18-strikeout complete game on Saturday.
Several Knights had good games and some turned in spectacular plays, but it was sophomore Trent Posey who shone brightest in West's 3-0 win.
Posey took the mound and tossed five shutout innings. He allowed only two hits, while walking four and striking out five.
Not that Posey always looked pretty doing the job. He walked the bases loaded in the first inning before getting Wildcat catcher Jeffrey Ferrell on a called third strike to end the threat.
Posey then struck out the side in the second frame.
He left the bases loaded again in the bottom of the third. Ferrell worked Posey to a full count before flying out to Doolittle in right field to end the inning.
Posey (6-1) set the side down in order in the fourth and fifth frames before giving up a leadoff single to start the sixth. When Adam Sowell reached on an error, Boatner turned to Doolittle.
Even then, Posey continued to sparkle as his leaping catch of a Bryan Sowell line drive at shortstop to start the bottom of the seventh looked even bigger when Ryne Shackleford drew a two-out walk and Brett Cleveland laced a double in the right-field corner.
Others big plays included a running catch by Knight center fielder Van Wilson in left-center to rob Ferrell of an extra-base hit with two men on and nobody out in the bottom of the sixth; and five stops on ground balls by West first baseman Richie McAllister.
Posey also drove in one of West's three runs with a double down the left-field line in the top of the fourth.
Not a bad day's work for a sophomore.
Marty Stamper is a sports writer for The Meridian Star. Call him at 693-1551, ext. 3235, or e-mail him at stamper@themeridianstar.com.