Ponies capture two over tough 'Riders
The Panola Watchman
2/20/08
Reliever
Cory Williams held hard-hitting Crowder College of Neosho, MO, to a solo home
run and a walk in three innings and freshmen Brandon Wilkerson and Chase Weir
smacked back-to-back doubles in the bottom of the seventh in an exciting final
inning of a doubleheader sweep here Sunday.
The Ponies were ahead 5-4 when Williams came to the hill in the fifth and was
greeted with a blast by Richard McVey that flew out of the park in left-center
with very little help from a cold crosswind blowing north to south.
The next seven were retired without incident before Williams walked Bubby
Williams with one down in the top of the seventh. An infield out and Cory
Williams second strikeout gave Panola the opportunity to win and it took
advantage immediately.
Cody Rogers ripped a solo homer to tie the game 1-1 in the last of the first
after an unearned Crowder marker started scoring.
Down 3-1 after two unearned runs by the Roughriders in the second, the Ponies
got a single from Jonathan Baker, a double by Shane Fry, a sac fly by Rogers and
a passed ball to tie 3-3.
Crowder used two singles and an error in the fourth to lead 4-3, but the Ponies
countered on three walks and a run-scoring hit by Fray to battle back.
When McVey homered for the fifth, Bobby Loveless unleashed a powerful blast over
the double-deck fence just to the right of dead center field and there would be
no quit in Todd Shelton's charges the rest of the evening.
Fry was the only Panola batter with two hits. Baker, Rogers, Loveless, Wilkerson
and Weir added one each.
Crowder never led in game one, but was tied 2-2 after a three-hit rally in the
third.
The Ponies went on top 2-0 in the second when Brandon Choate was hit by a pitch,
took second on a passed ball and scored on a double by Wilkerson. The latter
scored on a hit by Ryan Davis.
Weir went hard in the fourth for a game-winning solo blast. Wilkerson doubled
and scored on a two-out single by Baker, who is struggling to bat above .316
currently.
In the sixth, Weir was safe on an error, Davis doubled and Jared Myrick
delivered a two-run single.
Wilkerson and Davis were two for three. Baker, Fry, Weir and Myrick had the
other Panola hits.
Scott Copeland (3-0) of White Oak remains perfect with a five-inning stint as
the starter. He walked one, fanned four and allowed just five hits.
Wilkerson worked two innings in relief and the only runner he allowed reached
base on an error. He fanned two.