Rally sparks South victory
Published 12:00 am Monday, June 2, 2003
[6/1/03]With one huge inning, the South team took a 9-5 victory over the North team in the Mississippi Private School Association A-AA all-star game on Saturday.
A combination of key hitting and sloppy fielding helped the South team score seven runs in the top of the sixth inning to bely the nature of an otherwise low-octane affair at Mississippi College’s Frierson Field.
Drew Embry of Porter’s Chapel hit a single and scored a run in the sixth-inning rally, as well as flying out for a third out that was a long time coming.
The South team, which also featured PCA’s Chase Towne and Aaron Curry as well as Randy Wright as an assistant coach, collected six hits in the sixth, three each off of Dustin Gore of Lee Academy and Joe McKnight of Kirk Academy.
Embry, who went 1-3 with a walk, also started the game for the South team, pitching three innings and allowing an unearned run. He switched to first base after leaving the mound.
The South team had trouble putting an offensive attack together in the first few innings against Matthew Rozier of Carroll Academy.
Curry, who played second base, said Rozier’s fastball reached nearly 90 mph, and the South team had trouble catching up to it.
Gore, who replaced Rozier in the fourth, threw around 85 mph, allowing the South team’s bats to heat up.
“Finally we got some good hits in the gaps,” Curry said.
In the fourth inning, Prairie View’s Josh Morrison of the South team scored on a sacrifice fly after Embry walked and Morrison stole third.
The North team countered with a strong fifth inning, taking what seemed like an insurmountable 3-1 lead.
But finally the South offense exploded to take control of the game.
The North squad added runs in the seventh and ninth innings, but the South team held on for the four-run victory.
Robert Young of Amite School Center earned the victory, while Gore took the loss.
“I’m proud to get a win,” Wright said. “I enjoyed coaching my three kids.”
Towne started in left field and went 0-1 at the plate with two walks.
The only negative for the South team was its poor fielding, but that was offset by their opponents’ similar problems. The teams combined for 12 errors, six for each squad.
“These guys are probably a little rusty,” Wright said. “It’s been a few weeks since they’ve picked up a ball or bat. It showed a little.”
Wright said the added pressure of performing at a nice park in front of a larger crowd may have also contributed to the fielding miscues.
Even though the teams were together for such a small amount of time, Embry and Curry both enjoyed getting to know their all-star teammates.
“They’re great on the field,” Embry said. “It was also nice to see them off the field, how they have fun.”