Tishomingo forces deciding game|[05/10/08]

Published 12:00 am Saturday, May 10, 2008

State championship berth on the line today at 2 in final game of North State series

IUKA – Quality defense paid off for Tishomingo County and saved the Braves’ season for another day.

Tishomingo turned two key double plays and went on to post a 4-1 win over the Vicksburg Gators in Game 2 of the Class 4A North State championship series on Friday at Brewer Field.

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The six-hour bus ride to the far reaches of Northeast Mississippi seemed to sap the Gators (27-8) of their speed. They will have to come back today at 2 in Game 3 in a bid to reach the State 4A Championship series next week in Pearl.

“We were a tad bit slow with both the infielders and outfielders. We didn’t get to a couple of balls we should have,” VHS coach Jamie Creel said. “But we have no excuses. They (Tishomingo) had a long ride back last night.”

Gator starting pitcher Brian Fitzgerald had a rough first inning, but then settled down and finished with four scoreless innings to keep the Gators in it to the end. The problem was, the Braves’ defense and pitcher Brett Morgan never allowed a rally.

“The two double plays took us out of something that could’ve been big innings for us,” Creel said. “We get a leadoff hit and then an error, but they just did a great job of making the outs. They deserved to win the game.”

The Braves touched Fitzgerald for three runs in the first inning off a leadoff triple from Tyler Pritchard followed by an error, a double by Jon Whirley and three straight walks, the last, a bases-loaded pass to Matt Davis, made it 3-0.

Vicksburg got its only run off Morgan in the second inning. Bowen Woodson reached on a fielder’s choice, stole second and then scored on a hit by Fitzgerald to make it 3-1.

Tishomingo (28-7) got the run back when George tripled to the right-center gap and then came home when the outfield throw sailed into the Braves’ dugout.

Vicksburg’s best chance to draw even came in the fifth. It started after the only error made by Pritchard, the Braves’ speedy shortstop. He doubled-clutched a grounder by Ryan Ferrington to put the leadoff man on. Andrew Brown followed with his second hit of the game.

That brought up Delmon Robinson. On the first pitch, Ferrington broke for third, but TC catcher Blake Long was able to snag the high 1-0 pitch and nab Ferrington at third for the first out.

It was a key mistake, because Robinson then hit a grounder that Morgan misplayed, going to third to get Brown instead of taking the easy out at first. That left runners on the corners for Stanton Price.

Price, however, went with the first pitch from Morgan and hit a weak grounder to first. Pritchard was able to get the throw from Whirley at first and then go back to him to double-up Price and keep Brown from scoring.

Morgan gave up a leadoff single in the seventh to Blake Hynum, but he retired the next three to end the game.

“Brett Morgan was a man on a mission,” TC coach Jerry Long said. “He did an excellent job against a very good hitting ball team.”

“I just relied on my defense and threw strikes. I just wanted them to hit it and let my defense make plays,” Morgan said.

VHS had six hits, but all were singles. Brown’s two hits led the Gators.

Fitzgerald dropped to 5-3 with the loss. He allowed five hits and struck out six.