CCS takes advantage against St. Joe

By Clark Johnson and Barry Bartoszek
UCA sportswriting

After scoring two runs on errors, the Conway Christian Eagles soared past the St. Joseph Bulldogs, 4-3, in a 2A 5-North conference game Monday in Conway.

The visiting Bulldogs (5-3) came into the top of the seventh down 4-2, needing runs to keep their hopes alive. After Conway Christian pitcher Ezra Wiley walked his first three batters, St. Joseph pitcher Andrew Beck stepped to the plate with no outs and the bases loaded.

Conway Christian coach Shane Davis decided to pull Wiley from the game after a 10-strikeout performance.

“Ezra had a good off-speed today, and his slider was dynamite,” Davis said. “It was nasty.”

The coach pulled Lance Nail from right field to come to the mound and close out the game for the Eagles (13-6.) Nail walked Beck to bring second baseman Sam Massey home, pulling the Bulldogs within 4-3. With the bases still loaded and no outs, Nail took control of the game, striking out Bulldog first baseman Chris Rega and left fielder Cole Schichtl.

St. Joseph center fielder Nash Nichols stepped up with the bases loaded and his team trailing by one. Nichols grounded out to third baseman Jackson Hogue to lift the Eagles to their 13th win of the season.

Shane Davis said the last three outs were reflective of his team’s performance in the game.

“Pitching and defense won us that game,” he said. “That’s where it all starts. (Nail) just bared down, bowed his neck and got out the next three, and we don't win that game unless he does that."

The Eagles' baserunning helped them claim their first run of the game in the first inning. After shortstop Jacob Callaway singled past Bulldogs short stop Austin Harrell, Conway Christian first baseman Kirby Powell grounded another hit to Harrell. Harrell bobbled the catch, allowing both runners to claim their base. After a Tyler Ratliff groundout to first, Callaway and Powell were in scoring position. During center fielder Jake Fitts’ at-bat, Beck threw a wild pitch, scoring Callaway. Catcher Tanner Stevenson grounded out to end the inning.

St. Joseph answered in the top of the second. A lead-off blooper to right field from Schichtl gave the Bulldogs a base runner to start the inning. After Wiley walked Nichols, third baseman Andrew Kordsmeier struck out, leaving Schichtl and Nichols on base. With a runner in scoring position, Harrell sent a line drive double to deep center field to score Schichtl and advance Nichols to third. Wiley threw Massey out on a ground ball to give the Eagles two outs. Wiley then walked right fielder Taylor Shreck to load the bases. St. Joseph catcher Cole Breeding struck out looking on a full count to end the inning.

Bulldog coach Luke Davis said that inning could have furthered his team’s chances.

“When you’ve got two strikes and a bat in your hand, you’ve got to use it,” Davis said. “You can’t let the umpire take it out of your hands.”

Conway Christian got the lead back in the bottom of the second. After Beck struck out his pitching counterpart, Wiley, to lead off the inning, Hogue sent a home run soaring over the left field fence, reclaiming a 2-1 lead for the Eagles. Two consecutive groundouts ended the inning.

Wiley sent all three Eagles back to the bench in the top of the third, as Beck, Rega and Schichtl went three up, three down.

Conway Christian added to its total in the bottom of the third. Beck forced groundouts from Callaway and Powell to lead off the inning but then walked Ratliff on four pitches. On the next at bat, Beck hit Fitts with a pitch, putting Ratliff in scoring position. Stevenson’s line-drive double to deep center field scored Ratliff. Powell advanced to third on a fielding error. Beck struck out Wiley for the second time in the game to end the inning.

Neither team was able to produce a run in the fourth, keeping Conway Christian up, 3-1.

The Bulldogs claimed a run in the top of the fifth. After Wiley walked Breeding, a passed ball during Beck’s at bat resulted in Breeding advancing to second. Beck singled to center field to bring Breeding to third. In Rega’s at bat, Beck strategically led Wiley into a run down between second and first. The Eagles neglected the runner at third as Breeding trotted home to give St. Joseph its second run. Rega and Schichtl struck out to end the inning.

Errors were again the difference for the Bulldog defense in the bottom of the fifth. After a fly-out from Callaway, Beck walked Powell. Ratliff sent Powell to second on a sacrifice. Fitts then was hit by a pitch for the second time, putting runners on first and second. Beck attempted to pick off Fitts at first, but the throw went over Rega to bring Powell home and move Ratliff to third. Stevenson grounded out to end the inning.

St. Joseph again went three up, three down in the top of the sixth but held the Eagles in the bottom of the inning to keep the lead at 4-2.

After the Bulldogs couldn’t produce in the seventh, Luke Davis said his team could have done more.

“I was disappointed," he said. "We had a lot of chances and didn’t come through.”

Conway Christian will take on Episcopal Collegiate on Thursday. St. Joseph will look to bounce back when it travels to Bauxite on Thursday.