Battlefield tops Osbourn Park in Cedar Run baseball clash
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By BEN TRITTIPOE
For the News & Messenger
Published: April 18, 2008
Battlefield senior Evan Scott may not have been at his best Friday, but he certainly was good enough.
Scott pitched a complete game and provided the big hit at the plate as the Battlefield baseball team held off Osbourn Park for a 4-3 victory in a Cedar Run District contest in Haymarket.
The Bobcats won their sixth straight game to improve to 8-5 overall, 6-1 in the Cedar Run District. The win enabled Battlefield to move a half-game ahead of Osbourn Park (10-2, 5-1) in the district standings as the Yellow Jackets saw their seven-game win streak come to an end.
A hard-throwing right-hander, Scott (3-2 on the season) admitted after the game that he was struggling with his pitches early in the contest.
If tossing a three-hit complete game with three walks and 11 strikeouts is "struggling," teams do not want to see Scott on a good day.
"I knew going into the game that my stuff wasn't at 100 percent, so I just wanted to pitch to contact," Scott said. "I struggled throwing strikes and just worked to have them put the ball in play."
While Scott was walking one and striking out four in the first three innings, the Battlefield offense was staking him to a 4-0 lead. Junior Julian Joseph drew a bases-loaded walk in the bottom of the first to put the Bobcats on the scoreboard, then Scott provided the big blow of the game in the second with a two-out, bases-loaded double.
"He's been on fire at the plate," Battlefield head coach Matt Caudle said. "He's been huge for us in every way. He does everything you ask of him. We have a lot of kids with good character, and he's one of the best."
Osbourn Park fought its way back into the game in the top of the fourth inning. Kevin Soltis got the first hit for the Yellow Jackets as he led off with a single and went to second on a single by George Piccirilli, then Soltis scored and Piccirilli went to second when the Battlefield second baseman could not handle a line drive off the bat of Ryan Heckman.
Scott struck out the next two batters, but a passed ball advanced the runners and Nick Walker's grounder up the middle scored both to pull OP within 4-3. But Scott got Zach Bargeron to fly out to end the inning and the threat.
"We finally got some hits there in the fourth, but Scott is tough," Osbourn Park head coach Rod Hodgson said. "He battled and did what he had to do. I think he was better against us last year [in a 7-0 Battlefield victory in the district tournament], but even his 'B' game is an 'A' game for most high school pitchers."
The Yellow Jackets threatened to tie the game in the top of the seventh, but Scott again worked out of trouble. Walker reached on an error to open the inning and stole second base, then was sacrificed to third by Sam Band. Scott, however, reached back and found some of his best stuff of the night to strike out the final two batters to preserve the victory.
While neither coach would say Battlefield gained a future advantage with the victory, Scott said it gave the Bobcats confidence for the remainder of the season.
"Any win always gives you momentum," Scott said. "Some guys were concerned coming into the game because they were playing so well, but we proved we can get it done when we're not at our best. We're on a pretty good roll right now, and now we know we can beat them. It will be another good game when we see them again."
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