By Richard Torres
April 23, 2008 11:11 pm
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ANDERSON — The Highland Scots really had only one of two choices on Wednesday. Either they could sit quietly and willingly take the lumps city baseball rival Anderson was more than happy to supply or they could ban together and dish out a few of their own.
Rallying behind their coach’s intensity, the Class 4A Scots chose the latter, overcoming a two-run deficit with a five-run top of the seventh to defeat the seventh-ranked Class 4A Indians 7-4 at Memorial Field.
“We been going through some tough times here with our team as of lately,” Highland coach Matt Bair remarked after his team halted Anderson’s string of six straight wins.
“We’ve had some struggles. I guess you could say sometimes finding a little fire and enthusiasm does perk the team up.”
A day after suffering a tough 12-4 loss to Pendleton Heights, Highland’s source of rejuvenation came from Bair, who furiously contended a close tag-up call at third base on a sacrifice fly in the bottom of the sixth.
The run scored off of a Blake Wilson fly out to center with one out gave Anderson a 4-2 lead, but claiming the runner left early as center fielder Jake Millikan made a diving catch, Bair pleaded his case repeatedly at home plate.
“I just thought the guy missed the call in a key situation when we really needed that out,” Bair said. “I don’t ever want to embarrass myself, the team or the program, but at the same time I want the guys to know that I’ll fight for them when I see something that I feel is right.”
In the top of the seventh, his players reciprocated with their bats.
Highland (4-5) logged four hits, stole three bases and sent 10 batters to the plate, chasing Anderson relief pitcher Jake Vicars after he retired the first three hitters he faced the inning before.
Senior catcher Joey Hart delivered the first blow, cutting the lead 4-3 with an RBI-single to left scoring Chandler Sidwell from second base with two runners on.
Highland starting pitcher Trevor Humes continued the momentum swing, hitting a hard grounder down the first-base line, which went misplayed, scoring the tying run from third. Spencer Benge dropped a base hit into center field, scoring the go-ahead run. And with two outs, Millikan’s two-run single to right field provided the finishing touch.
“The error hurt, but you have to give them credit. They had four hits in that inning,” Anderson coach Terry Turner said. “They put the ball in play.
“I told the kids, there’s one to put in our think-tank ... This is a good game to put in the back of our minds because I’m sure there’s a possibility of us playing a third time in the sectional. I would rather lose this game right now then lose after Memorial Day.”
Falling behind 2-0 after two innings, Anderson (8-2) jumped ahead 3-2 in the third as a Highland fielding error erased Humes’ early cushion.
Silencing the Indians until the bottom of the sixth, Humes scattered five hits through six frames, walked three and struck out two.
Nolan Earley and Jake Bolinger each had one double for the Tribe and Zach Bucci ripped a triple. Zach Gooding finished 2-for-3.
Anderson starter Dustin Cannon went five inning, issuing two walks, five hits and racking up four strikeouts.
In traditional rivalry fashion, the two programs combined to hit seven batters, including two in Highland’s decisive top of the seventh.
“We fed off the last play at third (in the sixth). We thought it was a bad call,” said Humes. “Everybody knew it, and we used that intensity to turn it into some big runs.”
And they evened the regular season series, losing the first match-up 10-9 in the Nick Muller Memorial Baseball Tournament semifinals.
“The baseball gods were on our side a little bit there,” Bair added. “We had a couple hits fall in that don’t always fall. For us, they happened to fall at the right time. ... In the game of baseball, you’ll take ’em anyway you can get ’em.”
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