Published Wednesday, April 16, 2008 9:03 AM
Updated Wednesday, April 16, 2008 9:04 AM

 

Knights capture first region title since 2005

Gator rally falls short in 15-12 thriller


A furious Gator rally fell short, and Stratford secured its first Region 7-AAAA title since 2005 with an exciting, 15-12 victory over Goose Creek Friday night.

The three-hour game at GCHS included home runs, a host of errors, and a controversial ejection.

In the end, SHS Head Coach John Chalus said the Knights reached for something bigger to secure the game, and the title. “This was about being a good team, versus being a good program,” he said. “It was about tradition … and tradition pushed us through tonight.”

The marathon contest saw Stratford take a nine-run lead in the middle innings. But like any good archrival, the host Gators did not die quietly in a bid to defeat SHS for the second time in as many games.

The Knights’ Jeremy Eades and Patrick Limehouse began the game by drawing two walks in the top of the first against Gator southpaw Nick Jonason. Third baseman Damon Ardis reached base on a high throw to first, and drove in the first of 27 runs on the night.

Tyler Hill, who started the game at shortstop, singled to left to drive in run no. 2, and junior Mark Bone’s base hit up the middle gave the visitors a 3-0 advantage after a half-inning.

The Gators – whose seniors were honored prior to the first pitch – answered with a leadoff home run over the left field fence by Brent Perry off of SHS starter Limehouse. One batter later, Kenny Bryant drove a fastball over the centerfield wall for the second home run in three batters to cut the lead to 3-2 after one.

The next three innings were all Stratford, as the Knight offense exploded for eight runs.

SHS plated four runs in the second off of RBI singles by Limehouse and senior Aaron Preston. Eades singled in a run in the third inning, and an error led to another SHS run in the third to extend the lead to 8-2.

Hill and Eades both hit RBI doubles in the top of the fourth, and Bone scored on a bases-loaded walk to build the lead to 11-2. The runs came one inning after GCHS replaced Jonason with right-hander Michael Berry.

Goose Creek showed signs of life in the fourth, as Jonason launched a home run over the right field fence to narrow the deficit to 11-3. The dinger came in between three strikeouts by Limehouse.

In the top of the fifth, Stratford flirted with ending the game early with a 10-run rule. The Knights loaded the bases for the second time in as many innings, but could only score one run on an RBI sacrifice fly by sophomore Kyle Leggette.

With the score 12-3, it was time for some drama.

The Gators’ half of the fifth began with a single by junior Elijah Nichols. Left fielder Jonathan Sechler was next up, and the junior was hit by a pitch. As Sechler began to head towards first, he was called back by the home plate umpire, who ruled that the batter had not tried to avoid the inside offering.

The call was the last straw for Gator Head Coach Scott Durham, who had exchanged words with the umpire an inning earlier.

Durham argued the call briefly, and was ejected by the umpire who had already challenged the coach and engaged the Gators verbally earlier in the game. As Durham walked toward the GCHS dugout, the umpire took several steps toward the coach, seemingly to confront him, before cooler heads prevailed and the umpire returned to home plate.

The ejection seemed to light a fire under the Gators. Sechler doubled to center to put men on second and third. A sacrifice fly to right by second baseman Mitchell Huskey drove in Nichols, and cut the lead to 12-4.

After Bryant drew a walk to load the bases, Stratford brought in sophomore Chris Hanna. After striking out one, the southpaw walked Jonason to make the score 12-5 at the end of five.

Stratford again seemingly put the game out of reach in the top of the sixth, as senior first baseman Mecho Bohren ripped an RBI double and Ardis drove in a run on a single.  Gator righthander David Arrocha became the third pitcher of the night for GCHS. Hill and junior Josh Crout singled before Arrocha ended the inning with a strikeout.

It was 14-5 – but the Knight celebration could not yet begin as Goose Creek staged a five-run rally in the bottom of the sixth.

Third baseman Anthony DeMeo started things with a single to left; Nichols reached on an error one batter later, and Sechler singled to load the bases with no outs. Perry’s base hit cut the lead to 14-6, and prompted Chalus to call on Hill to take the mound.

Huskey drilled a liner to left to drive in two runs and leave men on the corners for GCHS. Bryant followed with an RBI single to center, and it was 14-9 with no outs. With one out, senior Chris Romack ripped a bases loaded single to right to drive in the fifth run of the inning.

The Gators had the tying run at the plate, but a perfectly executed, 6-4-3 double play ended the inning with the Knights holding a 14-10 advantage.

SHS scored an insurance run in the top of the seventh, after Preston bunted to get on base, and then scored from third when a balk was called.

With the score 15-10, the Gators had one more chance. Perry reached base on a two-out infield hit, and Huskey brought the home crowd to its feet for one last time with a two-run blast. The home run was the final hit of the night, and the Knights were region champs with the 15-12 win.

The game saw the teams combine for 27 runs on 33 hits and nine errors.

Chalus, whose squad is scheduled to face Summerville in its final regular season game before the playoffs begin, called 2008 “a trying year.”

“The kids had to start believing in themselves,” he said. “They have really grown.”

Stratford’s regional title comes on the heels of two championships in as many years for the Wando Warriors. The title means the Knights will enjoy a number one seed in the playoffs.