MELISSA — Their bats gave them a chance to clinch a playoff spot, then they put the Panthers in a position where there is no margin for error.
It was a scenario with a silver lining — but also a missed opportunity — after Blue Ridge defeated Bells, 3-2, to close out District 11-3A play at The Z-Plex.
“Just keep your heads up,” BHS head coach Jordan Carter said. “As good as we were against the first guy, we couldn’t do much against their second guy.”
The split of the double-header means the teams need a play-in game for the district’s final playoff spot. They will meet on Friday at a time and location to be determined. Had either school swept, it would have advanced as the four seed.
“We needed at least a win to get to a third game,” Carter said. “We’re there now and need to take advantage.”
Tye Mounger threw a four-hitter with three strikeouts and two walks, Cameron Walls singled and drove in two, Casey Walls singled, walked and scored and Payton Hendricks singled and scored for Blue Ridge (8-17, 5-7).
Cooper Smith allowed two earned runs on three hits with seven strikeouts and three walks in five innings, Preston Carter had a two-run single and Tucker Crites and Payton Cole singled and scored for Bells (12-13, 5-7).
After taking a 2-1 lead in the third, Bells didn’t have a base runner the rest of the way. Mounger retired the final 13 he faced with only two strikeouts in that span.
“Popped up too many balls; we didn’t stay back on him,” Carter said.
The Panthers went in front when Crites and Cole started the third with singles to left. Koehler High walked to load the bases and Carter followed with a two-run hit to left-center.
Eli Newton walked with two outs to re-load the bases but Bells couldn’t build on the slim advantage.
The only other inning the Panthers had a base runner was in the second when Colt Stone began with a single to left before three straight outs.
Carter came on in relief to start the sixth and retired six of the seven Tigers he faced, working around when he hit Hayden Dean with two outs in the sixth.
The Tigers took the lead for good in the top of the fifth. Casey Walls reached on a one-out error before Micah Dickerson and pinch-hitter Gage Branch walked to load the bases. Cameron Walls hit a high chopper to third and the only play for Easton Branam was at first as Blue Ridge tied the game.
Dickerson then came home on a wild pitch with the deciding run.
Blue Ridge opened the scoring in the top of the third. Hendricks and Casey Walls started with singles, a one-out groundout put runners at the corners and Cameron Walls delivered an RBI single to center.
Bells had put itself in position to clinch the playoff spot with an 11-1 victory in five innings in the first game where it scored nine times in the first inning.
The early outburst allowed the Panthers to let Smith pitch the first inning and then come out, be fresh to also start Game 2 and let Carter throw the final four innings.
“The pitching situation really worked out,” Carter said. “They both did a great job.”
Smith doubled, walked, drove in two runs and scored, Spencer Hinds was 2-for-3 with a double, four RBI and scored twice, Newton was 2-for-3 with a triple, drove in a run and scored twice, Stone singled, drove in a run and scored and High singled and drove in two. Jason Della Rosa / Herald Democrat
By Jason Della Rosa, Herald Democrat MELISSA — Their bats gave them a chance to clinch a playoff spot, then they put the Panthers in…
