By Michael Connolly
Staff Writer
CLINTON — The Sampson County Middle School baseball and softball tournament will continue today as final play in 2009 comes to a close. Monday, the Midway Middle baseball club defeated Union 8-2, and Midway’s softball team defeated Union 6-3. Roseboro-Salemburg’s softball team beat Sampson 4-3.
In what started as a slow game for the Midway boys, turned around in the fourth inning. With a tie game in the fourth inning at 2-2, the Raiders got hot in the fifth rounding the bags three times, taking the lead. Their defense, however, would not slump, as they continually made plays to first base throwing runners out — one after another. Union would not score another run in the game. Midway did, they had four runners come home in the bottom of the sixth.
Union Middle School coach Eddie Bass commented after the game, "Ryan Hall pitched a great game for Union. He did his job and some.” Hall had 8 strikeouts and 1 intentional walk in 5 and 2/3 innings. “The difference in the game was defense,” Bass said. “Midway Middle School played great defense and we played terrible defense. Midway’s defense was as good as you will see in middle school and we just did not play good defense to back Ryan's pitching”
Hagan Thornton had 2 hits for Union and Hall Bakeem Murphy, along with Josh Driskill had one. Union Middle School ends the season at 5-7 overall.
Raiders 6, Union 3
The Lady Raiders also played strong defense, throwing players out at first base throughout the game, keeping the game close for six innings, 3-3. But costly Union errors in the sixth, were capitalized on by the Raiders, said Union coach Robert Hill. “We just made some mistakes at some inopportune times.”
Both the Midway boys and girls will advance in play today with the Hobbton Wildcat girls.
Hobbton 4, SMS 3
Playing against Hobbton, Sampson fell 4-3 said Sampson coach Teresa Parker. “It was a great defensive game,” she said. “ The girls held it really tight tonight, good defense for both teams.”
Hobbton coach Pat Bowden said, “It was a hard fought game with a 0-0 score until the top of fourth inning with Clinton took a 3-0 lead. Hobbton battled back in the fourth to win a very close 4-3 game. The girls played with a lot of heart.”
Michael Connolly can be reached at 910-592-8137 ext. 120 or can be e-mailed at sicity@intrstar.net.com
So, Coach Bass while you take down your famous blue tarp, just take comfort in knowing you have been my inspiration and my guide through this whole ordeal. You stood defiant in the face of adversity and you kept the mongrels at bay outside your castle walls. I salute you. I can not wait til next year as spring ushers in a new an exciting season. The players pyched for the first game. The blue tarp put back in place at the dugout. The naysayers whispering, speculating, wondering, "Why is there a tarp over the dugout?". We'll know, Eddie, we'll know. You'll finish up your pep talk to your players and direct them to the dugout to prepare them for battle on the field. When you pull the flap down on the tarp to shield your men from prying eyes and boisterous babble of the ogres, be proud and vigilant. Thank you, Coach Bass. You truly are my hero.