Prep Baseball: Back on track

Published 12:00 am Friday, April 7, 2006

Before Warren Central played its first game of the Warren County Invitational, coach Shane Humphrey told his team it needed to do one thing if it wanted to end its three-game losing streak:

&#8220Put the ball in play,” was the simple advice Humphrey gave his team. Considering his players had struck out 23 times in the past two games, it seemed like a logical step in the right direction.

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The Dragons followed that advice Thursday, as a pair of back-to-back errors by duPont Manual second baseman Alex Salle in the sixth inning gave Central the go-ahead run in a 2-1 victory.

&#8220This was a great win for us,” Humphrey said. &#8220Today, we put the ball in play. We didn’t always hit it hard, but we put it in play and that’s all I could ask for.”

With the game knotted at 1-1 in the bottom of the sixth inning, Central’s Dustin Lindsey got a two-out walk to keep the inning alive. Chase Goff followed with a hard ground ball right to Salle, which went right under the Crimson second baseman’s legs, moving Lindsey to third.

Designated hitter Blake Cardwell followed with a similar shot, getting similar results as Salle mishandled the ball, allowing Lindsey to cross home with the go-ahead run.

&#8220Our pitcher pitched a tough game, but anytime in baseball you make a few errors and your bats are dead, it’s just not going to happen,” Manual coach Ren Pittman said. &#8220It’s frustrating. I told the kids that you can’t live in the past; shake it off and live to play another day. These guys learn life lessons from this stuff.”

Leading the defensive charge for Central was pitcher Tyler Proctor, who struck out nine and allowed just four hits. Manual shortstop Matt Healey got his team’s first hit with two outs in the third inning with a single shot up the middle.

Proctor seemed to get stronger as the game went on, retiring 10 of the Crimson’s final 12 batters – one reached with a single and the other was hit by a pitch.

In the top of the seventh inning, Proctor started things off by striking out Derek Wright. Salle bounced back from his fielding errors in the sixth with a single to keep Manual’s rally hopes alive, only to see the following two batters ground out to end the game.

&#8220He just pounded fastballs at them,” Humphrey said. &#8220He hit his spots and did a nice job.”

The Crimsons only run came in the fourth inning when Nick Consigli drove in Williams with a two-out double to left center field. Proctor would go on to strike out Salle to end the inning, stranding two runners.

The Dragons finished the game with just three hits, but reached three other times on errors. Manual pitcher Clay Williams struggled early, hitting two Central batters in the first inning and then another in the third. Williams finished with four strikeouts.

Central is back in action at 11 a.m. today as it hosts Bryan Station of Lexington. Afterward, Manual will then play Bryan Station.

duPont Manual 000 100 0 – 1

Warren Central 100 001 X – 2

WP: Proctor LP: Williams