By By Jeff Byrd/staff writer
August 4, 2002
It was a downright ratty affair, the late Saturday night game between North Randall County, Texas and Southeast Oklahoma here at Scaggs Field in the Babe Ruth 14-year-old Southwest Regional.
North Randall County won its second game of the day blasting an out-matched Southeast Oklahoma club 17-0. The game was called after six innings.
Southeast Oklahoma lost both of its regional contests by double digit run-rules. North Randall County, meanwhile, advances to a Sunday night game against the loser between unbeaten Meridian and Jefferson Parish East.
A telling sign of the evening came right after North Randall scored nine times in the sixth inning to take its 17-0 lead. A large rat got loose scattering several kids near the walk-way between the chair-seating area and the backstop.
The rat disappeared, but the bottom of the sixth had to be played. Southeast Oklahoma went down quietly in the sixth preserving the shutout of NRC's Jared Ward who tossed a two-hitter.
The lone SE Oklahoma hits came in the second (Curbie Wheeler) and the fourth (Chris Tenequer). Ward struck out 10 and walked two.
North Randall scored one run in the first, three in the second, four in the eighth and nine in the sixth.
Blaine Wieck reached base all three times with a hit and two walks and scored three runs to lead NRC. Ward had two hits and two runs while Matt Davenport and Tomas Cruz scored twice.
North Randall got its 17 runs off eight hits, six Southeast errors, 13 walks and two hit batsman.
Jonathan Bradley took the loss after making it to the fourth inning. He fanned three.