JA finds a way to take down PCA|[5/17/06]

Published 12:00 am Wednesday, May 17, 2006

While his teammates laughed and cut up, Porters Chapel Academy senior Dan Ivey sat deadpanned in the Eagles’ dugout.

Instead of cutting up with the rest of his teammates, Ivey just sat and stared ahead absorbing it all. Endlessly replaying in his head every one of the 32 pitches from the longest inning of his life and hoping that this time one of them would turn out different.

The Eagles, with Ivey on the mound, had allowed six runs in the top of the seventh inning to turn what appeared to be a sure victory into an 8-7 loss to Academy AAA runner-up Jackson Academy in the MPSA Overall Baseball Tournament on Tuesday night.

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PCA (26-10-1) had already secured the Academy A championship and had the Raiders on their heels until two errors – including one by Ivey himself – and a two-run homer by David Mooney capped a rally to send the Raiders to the second round of the overall tourney against Central Private.

&#8220It sucks pretty bad. I single-handedly blew the game. It’s not a good feeling,” said Ivey, who had an RBI single during a three-run fifth inning that had given the Eagles their commanding lead.

As he watched his teammates joking around after the game, Ivey added, &#8220I’m glad to know nobody’s mad at me, but I’m mad at myself.”

PCA dominated JA (27-6) for six innings behind the hitting and pitching of Michael Busby. The junior right-hander allowed four hits in the first inning – including a two-run homer to Joseph Gex that gave the Raiders a 2-0 lead – then went into lockdown mode.

He allowed only one more hit and struck out seven in six innings. He also erased his mistake to Gex by belting a solo homer of his own in the bottom of the first and an RBI double in the third. Busby finished 3-for-4 with the home run, two doubles, two RBIs and three runs scored.

&#8220Michael was amazing,” PCA coach Randy Wright said. &#8220He totally dominated them on the mound, and he mashed the baseball. No question, he was the best player on the field tonight and he proved it with every swing and every pitch.”

If Busby had a weakness, it was his surgically repaired right elbow and Wright’s unwillingness to test its limits. Busby had Tommy John surgery to repair a damaged ligament last summer, and spent the entire season working his way back into form.

He hadn’t gone more than a four innings or thrown more than 70 pitches all season and his pitch count slowly rose as he plowed through the Raiders’ order.

Before the game, Wright had put him on an 80-pitch limit. By the end of the fifth inning Busby was at 85, but he told Wright he felt fine and the coach allowed him to go back out for the sixth.

Another dozen pitches and three more outs, and Busby still felt good. It didn’t matter. Wright had always stressed he wasn’t going to push Busby’s elbow and this time was no different.

&#8220Michael had gotten up in his pitch count, and I decided enough was enough. He wanted to go back in, but I wouldn’t let him,” Wright said. &#8220Win or lose, that’s a decision I made and I’ll live with it.”

So in came Ivey, a slow-throwing lefty who hadn’t worked an inning in the postseason.

After a pop out to lead off the inning, Ryan Ward drew a walk and the nightmare began. John Bussey sliced a double down the right field line – a ball that landed on the foul line – and an errant throw allowed a run to score to cut it to 7-3.

Patrick Brawner followed with his easy grounder back to Ivey. Ivey looked Bussey back to third, then bounced a throw that first baseman Moose Carney couldn’t handle.

&#8220My control was a little off, But it’s no excuse for not being able to throw the ball to first base. I blew it,” Ivey said.

Ivey then hit Logan McDowell with a pitch to put runners at first and second, and both moved up a base on a fly out by Travis Donald. Gex brought them in with a single up the middle to cut it to 7-6 and Mooney hit a line drive over the tall wall in right field as Raiders’ players burst from the dugout.

&#8220Lefty on lefty is tough. He gave me a fastball inside and I just turned on it,” Mooney said. &#8220At first I thought it was going to hit the top of the wall. When it went over, it was an awesome feeling.”

Cole Smith came in and got Hunter Harris to fly to right for the final out, and the Eagles mounted a last-ditch rally of their own in the bottom of the seventh.

Chris Mixon worked a leadoff walk and Carney followed with a single to put runners at first and second. Hayden Hales hit into a fielder’s choice, allowing Mixon to move up to third. Ivey popped a blooper right behind second base, which for a moment appeared headed for a single. McDowell made the catch, though, turned and saw Mixon breaking for home.for the second out and Mixon broke for home, trying to score on a tag-up.

The throw easily beat Mixon to home and he tried in vain to avoid the Gex’s tag. He avoided the first attempt, then was tagged out as he tried to get back to the bag.

&#8220I missed him and (the umpire) was pointing at the runner. He was so far behind the plate that I had time to go get him,” Gex said.

Wright, like the rest of the Eagles, assured Ivey that this wouldn’t be what people remember most about this season.

&#8220I will never think again about this game as soon as I walk away from the park,” Wright said. &#8220I’m going to think about that win over Huntington and focus on our state championship.”