Published: May 12, 2008 10:51 am            

Redhounds plate five runs in the fourth inning in win over North Laurel

By Jimbo Collins / Staff Writer

The Corbin Redhounds won their third straight game in an unscheduled match-up with defending 13th Region Champion North Laurel Friday. The Redhounds scored five runs in the fourth inning and didn’t look back in the 5-2 win over the visiting Jaguars.

Corbin (17-11)was scheduled to play at Glasgow and North Laurel (14-13) was scheduled to host Lawrence County, but the rains and sloppy field conditions allowed for an unexpected showdown in Corbin Friday.

“We need to play,” North Laurel coach Darren McWhorter said. “We’ve got district tournament coming up a week away and we have got to work some of those kinks out. As you see right here, some of those kinks that we’re working to get out is what will get you beat in the first round of the district.

“Errors — you are going to have a routine double play, a nice ball hit right towards the bag and the ball hits and comes out of the glove,” he added. “That there is a back breaker. It makes possibly getting out of an inning into a long inning. It makes the pitcher throw a lot more pitches.”

The Jaguars took an early advantage in the top of the third inning. Ryan Evans drew a one-out walk and Nick Shannon got a hit to move Evans to second base. A Corbin error on a pick-off throw allowed Evans to score and Shannon to take second to give the Jaguars a 1-0 lead.

Tanner Smith hit an RBI single to score Shannon and give North Laurel a 2-0 lead in the third inning.

The Redhounds responded in the bottom of the fourth. Caleb Watkins hit led off the inning with a triple and scored on a passed ball to cut the lead to 2-1. Blake Hendrickson was hit by a Nick Shannon pitch and stole second. Tyler Prewitt got a one-out bunt single to move Hendrickson to third and Cody Duncum walked to load the bases.

Corey Sewell hit an RBI single to tie the game at two apiece. Josh Hart reached on an error that scored Prewitt to give the Redhounds a 3-2 lead. Eric Salmons walked to score a run, and Josh Smith was hit by a pitch to score a run and give Corbin a 5-0 lead and chase Jaguars starter Nick Shannon out of the game.

“Caleb (Watkins) got a good jump and got a passed ball and that cut the score to 2-1,” Garmon said. “We are trying to do some things and trying to be more aggressive offensively. We are trying to push the envelope offensively to make the other team make plays.

“We had five strikeouts in the first two innings, but it seemed like the boys’ second time around they got a pretty good look at it,” he added. “Our bats started changing after the second time around, and that was kind of the plan. I didn’t want to see five strikeouts in the first two innings. We’ve got to put the ball in play a little more there in that situation, but after that we never had another strikeout after the second inning. That is really good, and I was happy with that.

“Prewitt had two good bunts. It has been proven in baseball that if you can bunt the ball you are going to give yourself a chance to be successful. Because again, you are making them make plays.”

The Jaguars got the bases loaded in the top of the fifth inning, and led off the sixth with a double, but the threat was ended by a double play by the Redhounds.

“I was glad to see late in the game —us give ourselves a chance to possibly score some runs and take the lead,” McWhorter said. “We had the bases loaded in the sixth. We have guys on first and second with our three and four hitters up.

“You don’t ask for anything more than that right there in baseball,” he added. “It wasn’t meant to be, it didn’t happen and we didn’t come up with the big hits when we needed it, but we gave ourselves an opportunity and got guys on base to give ourselves a chance to win. That is a positive coming out of it.”

Garmon said his team didn’t panic and stayed focused on what they needed to do to win.

“They don’t panic, they stay pretty focused and they know what the job is,” Garmon said. “We don’t look at the scoreboard. We’re looking at a score sheet and we don’t try to do things to hurt ourselves.

“We are getting a whole lot better at that and we’re starting — we’re really playing well,” he added. “I thought tonight we hung in there and did a really good job at the plate against a really tough pitcher. Like I said, I am just really proud. We had some really good at-bats and I am really proud of the boys.”

McWhorter said his team has struggled to get through the fourth inning in recent games.

“Nick threw well early,” McWhorter said. “That fourth inning has been our Achilles heel in the last few games. We have got to find a way to get through that fourth. When we throw him out there next Monday, it is his game to win or lose. We are going to have to have him to throw possibly seven (innings).

“I’ve got as much confidence in John Haden-Allen and Johnny Damron right now at getting people out,” he added. “John Haden-Allen has come in during that situation right there and got people out without people scoring.”

North Laurel will travel to Knott County Central today. The game is scheduled for noon.

Corbin returns to action Monday at Middlesboro. The game is scheduled for 5:30 p.m.



Corbin 5, North Laurel 2

North Laurel 002 000 0 2 6 7

Corbin 000 500 x 5 7 3

WP - Hamlin. LP - Shannon.

        

• Click to discuss this story with other readers on our forums.