Here is a photo gallery of the Lake View baseball v. Baptist Hill game.
PHOTO GALLERY
PHOTOS BY CRAIG BROWN
Click once on a photo to bring it into a single screen and then again to enlarge.
By Craig Brown
Baptist Hill Head Baseball Coach Rick Smith knew when he was taking his Bobcat team to Lake View Thursday that they were going to face off against the premier division class A team in the state and the fact that they were going to make the long drive there in an uncomfortable activity bus was not going to help the odds either.
Many Class AA and higher classes would not enjoy the thought of playing Lake View in the playoffs. Wild Gator Head Coach Kip Herlong has put together another power house team this season and is favored to take the Lower State Title. I predict another State Title.
Coach Smith in his first season at the helm of the Bobcats has taken them to the playoffs for the first time in school history. Six of his players had never played organized baseball before this year. The game was called after three innings with the Wild Gators up 15-0.
Brent Herlong took the mound for the Wild Gators facing nine batters in the three inning game striking out eight and making one out after fielding a grounder on the mound and making the throw to first base getting the three innings no hitter win. The Bobcat pitchers sent four Wild Gator batters to base on hit by pitches and walked 13 batters giving up four hits.
Herlong struck out the top of the Bobcat order in the first inning bringing the Wild Gators to the plate. De’Ante Bridget led off for the Gators getting to first with a bunt then stealing second base.
Nick Collins tripled to center bringing Bridget in to score and then coming home on an error for two RBI to put the Gators up 2-0. Brent Herlond took first after being hit by the pitch. Justin Elliott hit a pop fly to center for the first out. Webb Cardell hit a fly ball to right for the second out. Hunter Stevens made it to first on a bunt advancing Herlong. Duane Nichols was called out at first to send the Wild Gators back to the field holding the 2-0 lead. Corey Fields led off for the Bobcats getting the only contact at the plate for the Bobcats with a hard grounder back to Herlong for the throw out to first.
Herlong struck out the next two batters to send the Gators back to the plate. Stone Spivey led off for the Gators in the bottom of the second and went down swinging for the first out. Darius Ford sent a line shot to left field for a base hit followed by stealing second base. De’Ante Bridget got his second hit with another bunt scoring Ford to put the Gators up 3-0. Nick Collins made it to first on a walk then stole second base.
Herlong got to base on a fielder’s choice getting Bridget home for a run. Collins was thrown out at first on a Fielder’s choice scoring Collins to put the Gators up 5-0. Cardell and Stevens loaded the bases after getting on with a hit by a pitch. Nichols sent the Bobcats back to bat with a fly out to left field. Herlong struck out the bottom of the Bobcat order to get the Gators back to the plate. The inexperience of the Bobcat pitchers ended the game in the third as they allowed 10 runs scored on no hits due to walked batters and hit batters by the pitchers to give the Wild Gators the 15-0 playoff win.
Demetrious Drayton got the loss on the mound for the Bobcats. Drayton was relieved after two innings with four Bobcats going to the mound trying to make something happen in the third inning with little success. The Bobcats were unable to hit Herlong at bat.
At bat for the Wild Gators, De’Ante Bridget was 2 for 2 with a RBI adding a base on a walk with two stolen bases. Nick Collins had a triple with two RBI, two stolen bases getting to base two times on walks. Hunter Stevens was 1 for 1 getting to base on a walk and a hit by a pitch, Darious Ford was 1 for 1 with a walk and two stolen bases. Brent Herlong made it to base on a fielder’s choice and two hit by a pitch with an RBI and two stolen bases. Justin Elliot got an RBI on a fielder’s choice getting to base on a walk. Duane Nichols got to base on a hit by pitch. Stone Spivey got to base twice on walks with three stolen bases. Kendre Wheeler got to base on a hit by pitch. Xavier Johnson, Hunter Herlong, Jett Lewis, Jordan King, George Edwards and Tyler Davis made it to base on walks. Coach Herlong knows that championship teams are made and not pampered and had his team back to full practice on Friday.
Coach Herlong praised Coach Smith for what he has done in his first season at Baptist Hill. Coach Smith is semi-retired having played for Indiana University and coached baseball for over twenty years before taking the Bobcat program. Coach Smith will continue to work on his team’s weak points and build a strong program.
Coach Herlong is looking to get his ninth championship and he has the players and assistant coaches to make this the year to do so.
