By By Marty Stamper/EMG sports assistant
May 12, 2002
Tournaments provide the opportunity for unlikely heroes to show their stuff.
Jones freshman pitcher Robert White made the most of his first start of the year, tossing a seven-hit complete game as the Bobcats eliminated 12th-ranked Delgado from the Region 23 Division I Tournament 8-3 Saturday night at Scaggs Field.
The Bobcats scored seven runs on just one hit in the bottom of the eighth inning to knock out the pre-tournament favorite Dolphins.
White's win evened his record at 1-1.
The 30-23 Bobcats advance to today's championship with Mississippi Delta, 26-16, and will have to beat the Trojans twice to claim the championship. The first game is set for 1 p.m. with a second game to follow at 4 p.m., if Jones wins the first game.
Delgado took a 1-0 lead in the top of the third inning. Jeremy Helton singled and took second when the ball was booted in left field. Helton came home when Mike Forbes reached on an error to third base.
The Bobcats pulled even in the bottom of the fourth as Michael McCraney doubled in the right field corner and scored on a single to left field by Chad McIlwain.
White pitched his way out of a tough jam in top of the sixth. David Hockersmith drew a leadoff walk and went to third on a two-base throwing error by Jonathan Robertson. White came back to fan Matt Graziano and, after an intentional walk to Nathan Meiners, whiffed Ryan Core and got Mike Prestenback to pop up to second base to end the inning.
The Dolphins took a 2-1 lead in the top of the seventh with a two-out rally. Helton singled, stole second, and scored on a single by Hockersmith.
Jones threatened to draw even in the bottom of the seventh. With runners at first and second with two outs, pinch hitter Mario Laphand singled to right field, but Prestenback fired to the plate in plenty of time for Dolphin Core to tag Ricky Breazeale for the third out.
The Dolphins extended their lead to 3-1 in the eighth with another two-out rally. Prestenback singled, stole second, and crossed the plate on a double to left center just beyond the reach of Bobcat center fielder Kyle Pipkins.
Then came the giant rally.
McCraney drew a leadoff walk and McIlwain reached when Meiners booted his hard ground ball. Robertson laid down a sacrifice bunt and motored all the way to third when Meiners' throw to first sailed into foul territory in right field, scoring McCraney and McIlwain.
The rally continued as Craig Bush received an intentional walk by reliever Tanna McClure and Breazeale was hit by a pitch. Graziano booted Josh Sullivan's potential double play ground ball to allow Robertson to score the go-ahead run. A walk to Pipkins forced home Bush with an insurance run. McCraney then put the game away with the inning's only hit – a three-run double to center field that put the Bobcats up 8-3.