Tankersley handcuffs Gators again

Published 12:00 am Thursday, March 29, 2001

Taylor Tankersley gets congratulated after his one-hit shutout. Behind him is Tyler DeRossette and at right is Kyle Simmons. (The Vicksburg Post/DAN MURPHY)

[03/28/01] Should Steve Irwin, television’s crocodile hunter, decide to go after Gators, Warren Central’s Taylor Tankersley would be the ideal assistant.

The University of Alabama signee continued his mastery of the Vicksburg Gators (13-5, 1-2 Division 3-5A) allowing just one hit and striking out 13 in a 13-0 route in front of an estimated 550 at Bazinsky Field.

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It was the second win over the Gators this season for Tankersley (6-0). He threw a no-hitter in their first matchup, another mercy-rule shortened game.

“That kid is a great pitcher and he is going to do Alabama well,” said Vicksburg coach Jamie Creel, who fell to 1-3 against the crosstown rivals in his two seasons. “To see pitching like that two times in a season will help us if we are fortunate enough to get into the playoffs.”

WC (18-1, 4-0), ranked No. 1 in the latest Clarion-Ledger poll, virtually assured itself of a fourth straight division title. The Vikings have games against Greenville and Gentry left on their division schedule.

Vicksburg, which logged its only division win against Gentry, is slated to play a makeup game against Greenville on Thursday. The top two teams in each division advance to the state playoffs.

The way it looks, the Vikings will host their first-round opponent. And if Tankersley keeps throwing like he has, they are in for a challenge.

In his last four starts, Tankersley has tossed three shutouts, allowed just one run, five hits and has struck out 53. He’s had double-digit strikeout totals in all four games.

“We were on him, but could never seem to hit the ball solid,” said Vicksburg’s Josh McBride, who spoiled Tankersley’s no-hit bid with a third-inning single. “We had a lot of good cuts, we just couldn’t connect on it.”

Vicksburg was without four starters. Justin Henry is nursing a sore ankle, while J.J. Brown, John Rohrer and Chris Middleton were out because of disciplinary reasons, Creel said.

The high-octane Vikings’ offense cranked out 13 hits, including five doubles and a home run. Kyle Simmons had a pair of singles and three RBIs, while Kevin Coker had three singles and Brian Pettway continued his torrid hitting with a two-run home run, a double and two RBIs.

Tankersley helped his cause with a pair of doubles and an RBI, while Chris Hite had a pair of singles and two RBIs and Brent Towne belted an RBI double.

“We hit the ball around a little bit,” Simmons said. “They threw Mitchell (Beauman), we ripped him, and they threw (Justin) Boler and we ripped him.”

Beauman allowed four earned runs in four innings to take the loss. Boler pitched the final two innings and gave up six runs in the sixth, and final, inning.

“For a guy who hasn’t pitched a whole lot, (Beauman) showed me a lot tonight,” WC coach Sam Temple said. “I told him after the game, it was a pleasure watching you grow up and a pleasure to watch you play baseball.’ He’s a great competitor and a great young man.”

Beauman got out of a first-inning jam, getting a double play with the bases loaded, but allowed three in the second on an RBI single by Simmons and a throwing error that scored two.

John Morgan Mims’ sacrifice fly in the third gave the Vikings a 4-0 lead. Tankersley’s RBI double, followed by Pettway’s opposite-field, two-run homer in the fourth his seventh of the season upped WC’s lead to 7-0.

“I think we played real steady tonight,” Temple said. “We didn’t get too uptight, and as long as we stay where we are, we’ll be all right.”

The Vikings put the game out of reach in the sixth, stringing together six hits and taking advantage of an error for six runs. Simmons and Hite each had a two-RBI single in the inning and Tankersley and Towne each added RBI.

“We were able to string some things together,” Tankersley said. “I’m glad this one is over.”

The Gators had chances, though, thanks in part to three walks and a hit batter. Vicksburg stranded a runner at second in the first inning, then left the bases loaded in the bottom of the third with WC holding a 4-0 lead.

“I thought we were a little more prepared for this one,” said Beauman, whose team had won six of its last seven. “But not prepared enough. We’ve been playing well and hitting the ball well lately, so we did have more confidence.”

Tankersley said he was fighting a bit of a control problem, but still struck out the side in two innings and two batters in three other innings. It was the third time in two years he has beaten Vicksburg.

“I don’t know if he’s the hardest throwing left-hander in the state, or the best one,” Creel said. “But if he isn’t, I don’t want to see who is.”