Published Wednesday, April 02, 2008 10:37 AM
Updated Wednesday, April 02, 2008 10:38 AM

 

Defensive gems highlight rivalry game

Goose Creek Head Coach Scott Durham said it best when he was asked what Monday night's historic game against Stratford was all about. "Pitching, pitching, pitching," Durham said. The Gators' 3-1 win will be remembered for great pitching, scrappy offense that included a half-dozen bunts, and two heart stopping plays at the plate. Stratford's Tyler Hill, who pitched the entire eight innings, and Goose Creek's Nick Jonason, who was relieved in the seventh by Brent Perry, both brought their A game to Monday's grudge match. Hill and the Knight defense set the tone early, as SHS turned a 6-4-3 double play to end the top of the first. An inning later, Hill struck out one in a three-up, three-down inning. The Gator defense rose to the occasion throughout the night as well, beginning in the bottom of the second. After Stratford's Mark Bone led off the inning with a walk, GCHS third baseman Mitchell Huskey made a diving stop of a hard hit grounder by the Knights' Jeremy Eades to avert disaster and keep the game scoreless. Jonason again pitched out of trouble in the third, when SHS had men on the corners with two outs after a pair of singles by Aaron Preston and Mecho Bohren. Jonason forced SHS slugger Damon Ardis to ground to third, and Huskey fielded the ball cleanly and threw to first for the out. Although Goose Creek would eventually score in the inning, no defensive play was better than SHS third baseman's Patrick Limehouse's, when Limehouse charged a bunt down the third baseline by Perry, scooped up the ball and threw to first for the out. The game featured two picture-perfect tag outs at home plate. In the top of the fifth, Limehouse fielded a grounder with men on the corners and one out. Limehouse fired to home, where Ryan Kilgallen tagged out the Gators' sliding Anthony DeMeo. An inning later, GCHS returned the favor. Stratford led off the sixth with a walk by Bone, who was advanced to second by a sacrifice bunt by Eades. When Stratford's Kyle Legette hit a sharp grounder, the Gators threw to second for the force out, and then second baseman Yamil Perez fired home to beat Bone's slide at the plate.