Bruins fall late to Tigers

Published 12:16 am Saturday, March 7, 2009

Northwest Whitfield built a 4-0 lead, but the bottom of the seventh inning turned into a nightmare Friday.

Ringgold scored eight runs in the seventh — the rally was capped by Erick Hull’s grand slam — and stunned the Bruins, 8-4, in a non-region baseball game played at Ringgold High.

“For 6 1/3 innings we played a great game,” Bruins coach Todd Middleton said. “Chase Plott pitched great with quick innings and gave up only two hits. Going into the seventh he had thrown under 70 pitches.”

Plott got a quick out in the seventh, but things unraveled after that.

He allowed back-to-back singles, walked a batter and then another single produced the Tigers’ first run. Jay Motley relieved Plott and a ground ball off an infielder’s glove pushed another run across the plate, cutting Northwest’s lead to 4-2. A line drive hit off a fielder’s glove tied the game at 4 and left runners at second and third.

“Both those balls were hit hard to the infield,” Middleton said. “The second one was a Howitzer.”

After an intentional walk, Hull delivered his game-winning homer.

Hull’s heroics overshadowed Jordan Darnell’s two solo homers coming in the third and seventh innings. Diego Hernandez, who had two hits, belted a homer in the first to give the Bruins a 1-0 lead. Hernandez singled in the sixth and eventually scored on a wild pitch. Hunter Key added a double for the Bruins (1-3).

• Rome 5, Southeast 3: Rome’s Jake Williams pitched a complete game, allowing six hits.

The Raiders’ Michael Simpson and Bradley Grant had two hits each, with Grant having a solo homer in the third inning. Simpson stole three bases.

Grant started for Southeast (1-2) and went 2 1/3 innings, allowing four hits and striking out two. Cory Bevans worked 4 2/3 innings in relief and gave up five hits, with two walks and one strikeout.

• Murray County 7, Gordon Lee 3: Chandler Puryear struggled early but his teammates got him the lead with a five-run third inning. Puryear settled down and finished with a complete-game two-hitter with 12 strikeouts. He walked four.

“They punched us in the mouth and we responded well,” Indians coach Jason Lanham said. “We’ve done that a couple of times this week and that’s the sign of a good ballclub.”

Taylor Patterson and Tyler Jones each had two hits, including a double and RBI. Jacob Pritchett had a run-scoring hit. Puryear had a run-scoring sacrifice fly.

The Indians are 5-0 on the young season.



Varsity soccer

• Northwest Whitfield 2, Woodland-Bartow 1: Giovanni Villa scored both goals for the Bruins (5-2, 1-0 Region 7-4A) while Mario Perez and Armando Alanis were credited with one assist each in the game played in Cartersville.

The Bruins took 15 shots on goal while Woodland managed nine. Northwest goalie Oscar Solorzano had three saves.



Varsity tennis

• Murray County boys 5, Gordon Central 0: Garrick Sanford won 6-0, 6-0, Tanner Hemphill 6-0, 6-1 and Zach Davis 6-1, 6-2 in singles for the Indians in a Thursday match. In doubles, Will Ross and Beau Booth won 6-1, 7-5 and Andrew Miles and Brandon Garcia posted a 6-1, 6-2 victory.

• Gordon Central girls 3, Murray County 2: Cassie Quast (6-2, 6-2) and Keri Dixon (6-1, 6-0) won for the Lady Indians.



JV tennis

• Dalton girls 5, Ringgold 0: Melissa You posted an 8-1 win while Jalika Joyner won 8-6 and Shailee Patel 8-0 in singles in the Lady Catamounts’ season opener. Kimberly Kazmierski and Hillary Brock won 8-3 and Sareena Gillani and Mary Faith Erwin 8-0 in doubles.

• Dalton boys 3, Ringgold 2: The Cats swept the singles action with David Burton winning 8-1, Charlie Wilson 8-1 and Hepin Paten 8-3.



JV baseball

• Ringgold 4, Northwest Whitfield 1: Nick Wagner and Trent Smythe had the only hits for the Bruins (1-1). Smythe drove in a run.

Jarrett Bruce pitched four innings and had nine strikeouts.

• Murray County 6, Gordon Lee 3: Josh Flood threw a five-inning complete game and Shawn Welch had a run-scoring hit for the Indians.



MS baseball

• New Hope 15, Gladden 5: Caleb Branson, Blake Phillips, Edwin Hernandez and Tanner Cockburn all had two hits for the Kodiaks (4-0). Hernandez and Cockburn had doubles and two RBIs and Hernandez pitched three innings without giving up a hit in the six-inning game.



MS soccer

• Dalton girls 6, Gladden 0: Ale Salaises scored two goals while Jamine Cervantes, Dhalia Medina, Ale Hernandez and Rocio Carrizales each had one as the Lady Cougars successfully opened their season.

Goalie Rosa Moreno got the shutout.

• Eastbrook girls 3, Gladden 1: Dalia Duarte, Andrea Lopez, Diana Paramo scored goals and Heidy Lopez had an assist for the Lady Mustangs (4-0).

• Eastbrook boys 5, Gladden 0: Victor Garcia had two goals while Jorge Hurtado, Jesus Leon an Josue Quintero each had one for the Mustangs (4-0).



MS track

• Bagley boys 93, Dalton 59, Gladden 40: Brady Swilling won the long jump at 18 feet, 6 inches, triple jump at 36-1 and the high jump at 5-4 for the Braves in Thursday’s meet. Markell Harkless took the shot (42-1) and discus (96-4) and Isaac Pacheco won the mile run in 5:25.