WEST POINT — Marion Bratton has been around long enough to know you’re not going to beat many teams when you have only one hit.
That’s why the Oak Hill Academy baseball coach had to tip his cap to Jordan Talley on Tuesday after the senior right-hander pitched a complete-game one-hitter to lead Silliman Institute (La.) to a 4-1 victory in Game 1 of the best-of-three Mississippi Association of Independent Schools Class AA championship series.
The Raiders (16-8) didn’t have many chances against the 6-foot-3, 250 pounder, who has signed to play football at Nicholls State. But Talley walked five (seven strikeouts) and left the door open enough for Oak Hill Academy to make the game tighter if it could have delivered a timely hit. Unfortunately, the magic that was there in comeback series victories against Prairie View (La.) and Winona Christian never
materialized.
“We played a decent defensive ballgame, but we didn’t show up tonight with the enthusiasm we have had in the past couple of weeks,” Bratton said. “The Louisiana teams — I can’t tell you how many times I have played them. All of those cats down there are always really good ballclubs with really good pitching.”
Talley is the latest in a line of Louisiana pitchers to make life tough for the Raiders. Although he walked two in each of the third and sixth innings, the Raiders’ only hit was an infield single by Trevor Turner in the sixth. Turner’s ground ball went under Talley’s glove and was fielded by a charging Caleb Jackson at second base. The umpire signaled the throw pulled first baseman Darian Tunstall off the base on a bang-bang play.
“I kind of figured it out, except for all of the walks, that nobody had gotten on base off a hit, so I kind of knew,” Talley said when asked if he knew he had a no-hitter.
Shutout lost with no-hitter
In addition to losing the no-hitter in the sixth, Talley saw his shutout go by the books later in the inning. Turner moved to second base on a walk to Riley Pierce. He stayed aggressive — just like the Raiders have been throughout the postseason — when the first pitch to cleanup hitter Ken Dill was in the dirt. Catcher Brian Siebert blocked the ball, but his throw to third sailed into left field, allowing Turner to score. Dill worked another walk to put runners on second and first, but Talley battled back from a 3-0 count to strike out Drew Riley to end the inning.
“You just have to hope you can put together some hits or some opportunities to get on base back to back to back to create a big inning,” Bratton said. “That’s what we played for. We played for the big inning (in the sixth). We managed to work through the bottom of the order and picked up a run. One swing, if we would have gotten a hold of one … We had some opportunities, but things didn’t fall our way. That is the way baseball is. It is called the game of failure. Tonight was our turn not to be on the upside, but we hope to come back Thursday and turn that around.”
Talley said anything can happen in a state championship series game, so he knew had to bear down and work through the frustration of walking two batters in the third and sixth. In the third, leadoff batter Drake Riley was retired on a hard ground ball that deflected off Talley to third baseman Tre Berthelot, who threw to first for the out. Two walks followed before Collins Brown was retired after the umpires determined he leaned into a pitch on 3-2 for the second out. An infield out ended the inning.
“I know my ability to throw strikes, and sometimes they’re going to hit and sometimes they’re going to miss,” Talley said. “I have a great defense behind me, too, so I can let them hit it and they will turn double plays.”
In the seventh, Berthelot started a 5-4-3 double play that erased Heath Ford, who reached on an error by Talley. The game ended on a hard ground ball by Chance Wilson that shortstop Cole Jackson dove to stop. His dive to his left deflected the ball to Jackson at second base. Jackson threw to first to end the game.
“That is the second game in a row that he has had his stuff and he worked ahead in the zone,” Silliman Institute coach John Beauchamp said. “He has been able to locate his offspeed and his fastball, so he has been able to be pretty successful. It has really helped us out.”
Talley said he adjusted to the home plate umpire’s strike zone that gave pitchers the low strike. He said he also tried to keep the Raiders off balance by moving the ball in and out. He said finding his curveball in the middle innings aided his cause.
Taking advantage of chances
Bratton credited Silliman Institute (22-7) for taking advantage of its opportunities. He also said Talley did a good job hitting his spots and working past the walks.
“He had a little velo(city), and we tried to crowd the plate a little bit,” Bratton said. “I am disappointed we lost, but I am not disappointed we are here. I am glad we are here. I am glad we have the opportunity to play, hopefully, two more games Thursday.”
Bratton expects to have junior right-hander Chance Wilson and junior right-hander Drew Riley rested for Thursday. Wilson and Riley, who came on in relief of Kaleb Darnell, earned the victories last week to help the team clinch the North State title. Regardless of who pitches, Bratton knows his team will have to find a spark at the plate if it wants to extend the series. He expects to face Tunstall, a left-hander, in Game 2. He said he would try to enlist West Point High School left-hander Rico Lane to pitch batting practice today to give his hitters a look against a quality southpaw.
“Maybe we’re a little tired, but, hey, if you want to be the last team playing, you have to play through the grind,” Bratton said. “That’s what we’re hoping for. That’s what we have done the last two weeks, play through the grind. Maybe that is what we have to get back to.”
Silliman scored all the runs it needed in the third against Pierce, the starting pitcher. Michael Davidson doubled and scored on a one-out single by No. 9 hitter Caleb Jackson, who had two hits. Tunstall’s two-run single scored Jackson and Zach Kelly, one of four Silliman Institute players hit by pitch in the game.
Silliman Institute added an insurance run in the fourth. Davidson doubled and scored on a single by Caleb Jackson.
Tunstall also had two hits, while Siebert had the team’s other hit.
Game 2 will be at 4:30 p.m. Thursday in Clinton, Louisiana. If needed, Game 3 would follow approximately 30 minutes after the previous game.
Follow Dispatch sports editor Adam Minichino on Twitter @ctsportseditor
Adam Minichino is the former Sports Editor for The Commercial Dispatch.
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