Hilton Head Christian rallies to beat Laurence Manning 7-3 in 9 in SCISA AAAA baseball playoffs
Jackson Richardson's 3-run double leads to 4-run ninth
Manning – The strategy of the Hilton Head Christian Academy baseball team all season, according to first-year head coach Jay Scarbro, has been to ride its pitching staff and piece together a couple of productive innings at the plate each game.
That plan worked to perfection on Tuesday in the Eagles’ game against Laurence Manning Academy in the SCISA AAAA state playoffs.
HHCA rallied from a 3-0 deficit with a 3-run sixth inning to force extra innings and then scored four runs in the top of the ninth as starting pitcher Hayden Brooks worked into the ninth for a 7-3 victory at Tucker Belangia Diamond.
Hilton Head Christian, which improved to 18-8 on the season, will travel to Columbia on Thursday to face Cardinal Newman in a winner’s bracket game. The Swampcats, who fell to 17-3, will be at home on Thursday in an elimination game, facing the winner of Wednesday’s elimination game between Augusta Christian School and Trinity Collegiate.
“We as a team pitched it well enough all year where we can play with just about everybody on our schedule,” said Scarbro, whose team beat Augusta Christian 9-6 in its playoff opener on Monday. “Again tonight that’s what we wanted to do, come in and pitch it well to give our team an opportunity to scratch a few runs and Hayden did a tremendous job.
“With us being such a young team with just one senior, who is Brooks, we try to play for one or two big innings a game,” added Scarbro, who was an assistant coach on last year’s AAA state championship squad. “That’s what we hung around and tried to do tonight.”
LMA starting pitcher right-hander Peyton Price took a shutout into the sixth inning with the Eagles at the top of their batting order. Chip Hetzel drew a leadoff walk before Jackson Richardson followed with a sinking line drive on which centerfielder Zy Dennis attempted to make a diving catch. He was unable to do so and Richardson raced to third with a run-scoring triple.
Price had tightness in his right bicep and Laurence Mannnig head coach Barry Hatfield brought in right-handed reliever Josh Niswonger. He got an RBI groundout from Slade Burd to make it 3-2 before hitting Roman Colella. Anthony Seminara followed with a double that sent courtesy runner Eli Morgan to third. Morgan scored on a wild pitch to tie the game at 3-3.
“That was the biggest inning of the game,” Hatfield said. “I told the team if we get a shutdown inning right here, we’re going to win this game. But they’re a good team, a well-coached team, Eventually, they are a good enough ball club – I knew that as soon as I saw the draw – I was a little concerned about that (having beaten its Region 3 foe 2-1 and 4-3 during the regular season. I just didn’t like our matchup.”
The Swampcats got two runners on base against Brooks in both the sixth and seventh innings and got the leadoff man on in the ninth but to no avail. HHCA finally broke through in the ninth.
LMA left-handed reliever Cole Hawthorne had pitched a scoreless eighth and retired Stone Burd to start the ninth. Will Mahl followed with a single to center, but Hawthorne appeared to have him picked off on a throw to first base in the next at-bat. However, the ball wasn’t handled, leaving Mahl safe.
Hawthorne got Brooks to fly out for the second out and had two strikes on No. 9 hitter Brad Mayles before hitting him.
“I think he lost his focus on the pickoff play,” Hatfield said. “We probably had him if we come up with the ball, but then he had two strikes on the No. 9 hitter who had no hits I three game. We strike that kid out we’re on to the next inning.”
Instead, Hetzel reached on a single to load the bases. Richardson worked Hawthorne to a 3-2 count before getting a ball inside the third-base line for a bases-clearing double. He scored on a triple by Slade Burd to make it 7-3.
“All night long he had really good at-bats, but because of great defensive plays he didn’t have a lot to show for it until that last at-bat,” Scarbro said of Richardson, who was 2-for-5 with the double and triple and four runs batted in and had another likely run-scoring extra-base hit tracked down by leftfielder Ray Weston to end the seventh.. “All night long he was locked in at the plate. That was huge.”
Brooks came out to start the ninth. He walked Grainger Powell to open the inning before getting Payton Brown to hit into a fielder’s choice. Brooks had to leave the game at that point due to his pitch count. Left-hander Colt Spargur came on and retired both of the batters he faced to end the game.
The right-handed Brooks scattered seven hits over 8 1/3 innings, striking out six and walking four. Only one of the runs he allowed was earned.
“Our guy on the mound tonight, Hayden Brooks, did a tremendous job for us,” Scarbro said. “And he really has all year long.”
Laurence Manning had a 1-0 lead after just two batters in the bottom of the first. Brenston Rembert drew a leadoff walk and reached second on an errant pickoff attempt. He scored on a base hit by BJ Balls, who would eventually reach third. However, he was the first of 12 runners left on base by the Swampcats, six of them in scoring position.
“Tonight, we had some opportunities, some baserunners, but we couldn’t get the big hit,” Hatfield said.
LMA made it 3-0 in the third. Balls led off with a single and Powell reached on an error. After a sacrifice bunt by Brown, a groundout by Rory Carter scored Balls. A ground-rule double by Drew Ferriell made it 3-0.
Hilton Head Christian finished with nine hits with Richardson and Hetzel getting two apiece. Hetzel scored twice while Slade Burd had the triple and two RBI. Mahl had a hit and a run, and Colella and pinch hitter Josh Koepke both had a hit.
LMA had seven hits, with Balls and Weston both having two apiece. Ferriell, Cade Mooneyham and Brown had the other hits.
Hatfield, whose team won the region title with an undefeated record, said his team simply has to move on after the disappointing loss.
“I reminded them that Augusta Christian lost its first game last year, got run-ruled (losing by 10 runs), and came back and won the state championship,” he said. “But what do you tell them after a 9-inning game where you lost? It’s a tough draw, we knew they were good., We just have to lush it, move on and come on out tomorrow.”
