Bobcats rally past Bulldogs

Published 12:00 am Wednesday, March 12, 2003

Andalusia was two innings away from a win against the rival Opp Bobcats in high school baseball action Wednesday, but errors helped fuel an Opp rally that resulted in a 4-3 win for Opp.

Andalusia went on top in the second inning when Cole Sightler reached on a walk and came around to score via three walks and a single. He scored when Andrew Harry drew a bases-loaded walk.

The Bulldogs doubled their lead in the top of the third inning with one swing of the bat. Daniel Wall did the honors with a solo home run.

Opp scratched Andalusia's lead back down to just one run in the bottom of the inning when Daniel Coleman was hit by a pitch and came around to score. He scored on an RBI-single by Heath Williamson.

Neither team scored in the fourth inning, but the Bulldogs stretched their lead back out to two runs with a run in the top of the fifth inning.

Neal Patterson led off the inning with a single, moved to second on a sacrifice bunt by Trevor Mathews and came around to score when Wall and Tyler Wilson pounded out base hits. Wilson had an RBI-single in the inning.

Opp answered with a three-run rally in the bottom of the fifth inning to take a 4-3 lead. Opp scored its three runs on one walk and four errors.

Brock Kelley led off the inning for Opp and reached on an error by the Andalusia third baseman.

The next batter was Lane Fuller and he reached on a walk to put runners on first and second with no outs for the Bobcats.

Michael Hattaway followed Fuller with a bunt attempt that Patterson dove off the mound to catch for an out, but his throw to first for a double play did not beat Fuller to the bag.

The runners moved to second and third on a passed ball.

Langdon Stanley then reached on an error by the Andalusia catcher that allowed two runs to score to tie the game at 3-3. The error occurred when the Andalusia third baseman fielded a grounded and came home for an out. The throw was a little high, but hit the catcher in the mitt. The ball was not caught and ended up at the backstop behind home plate.

Langdon Stanley motored to second base on the error and scored when Jason Stanley reached on an error by the Andalusia shortstop. Daniel Coleman also reached on an error in the inning before the Bulldogs could get the third out.

Andalusia came out in the top of the seventh inning needing one run to tie the score and two to win.

Trevor Mathews started the inning by reaching base when he was hit by a pitch.

The next two Andalusia batters flew out to Coleman in center field.

Hollingsworth was then hit by a pitch to put runners on first and second with two outs for Sightler. Sightler hit an 0-2 pitch to short where it was gobbled up by Hattaway and turned into a force out at second to end the game.

Drew Mims was the winning pitcher for the Bobcats after just two innings of work. He came into the game in the top of the sixth with Opp trailing 3-1. He pitched two innings of hitless baseball with three Bulldog batters reaching base when they were hit by a pitch. He did not walk or strikeout a batter in the game.

Holt Parker started the game on the mound for the Bobcats and pitched five innings. He allowed three runs on eight hits and three walks. He struck out two.

Neal Patterson pitched for the Bulldogs and allowed four runs on four hits, three walks and one hit batsman. He struck out two. The Bulldogs committed seven errors in the game.

The Bobcats improve to 5-3 on the season and play at Crestview (Fla.) High School on Friday.

The Bulldogs' next game is at Charles Henderson High School in Troy on Friday when they will play a doubleheader against the Trojans.