By Timothy Kays
THE VILLAGE REPORTER
PIONEER: May 1 – The North Central Eagles and the Stryker Panthers…two well coached BBC teams with a long history of ‘last man standing’ battles. As both teams took to the diamond at North Central High School on May 1, another nail biter was on the menu. The Eagles’ Branden Turner, despite a shaky outing on the hill, went into lockdown mode when he needed to, and also helped his own cause by scoring the tying run in the bottom of the sixth to lead the hometown boys to a 6-5 win over the stunned Panther Pack.
The Eagles jumped on Stryker starter Brody Shock for three in the first. Shock then settled in, and the Panthers got a run back in the second, then tied the game with two in the fourth off a wild Turner whose control was as fleeting as the wind-driven icy rain that plagued both teams. Turner settled in until the top of the sixth when the Panthers plated a pair to take a 5-3 lead. It was then up to North Central to respond…and respond they did.
Steven Williams and Turner both got onboard, and Josh Sawyer then got a hold of a Shock pitch that he drove to right field. The wind aloft carried the ball over the head of the Stryker outfielder, driving home Williams and Turner to tie the game. With Sawyer at third, Clayton Ferguson was intentionally passed to set up a potential double play. Dylan Hutchison hit a ground ball that Stryker first baseman Cody Hall immediately gunned to catcher Colton Benson who put the tag on the sliding sawyer who tried to score on the play. Ferguson was advancing on the initial contact, and with the play at the plate occurring, he rounded second and motored for third. The relay throw to third was errant, allowing Ferguson to score from first base on the play. That run proved to be the game winner.
Turner went the distance for 12-3 / 5-1 North Central, who now is one-up on Stryker in the loss column for the BBC lead. Turner allowed 5 runs, 4 earned on 5 hits, a hit batter and 7 walks, fanning 9. Sawyer finished with a 2-RBI double, Alex Proper had a pair of singles and an RBI, Turner had three base hits, and Hutchison and Colton Pilmore each had an RBI base hit.
Shock went the route for the 7-9 / 6-2 Panthers. He was charged with 6 runs, 3 earned on 8 hits, 4 walks and 2 hit batters, whiffing 7. Chad Ruffer plated a pair with a single, Shock and Jacob Hancock each had an RBI single, and Dean Beamont had a pair of base hits, driving in a run.
Runs / Hits / Errors
North Central 6 – 8 – 2
Stryker 5 – 5 – 2
Timothy Kays can be reached at tim@villagereporter.com