Bruce Branch and Neal Henry admit they were wrong.
The Heritage Academy and Starkville Academy baseball coaches thought they would see pitching and defense emerge as leading storylines for their Mississippi Association of Independent Schools Class AAA, Division II playoff series.
After Starkville Academy took a wild 11-10 victory in game one Tuesday, Branch and Henry hope to see pitching and defense step to the front of the line at 5 tonight when they teams meet for game two in Starkville.
“It was a very good atmosphere (for game one),” Branch said. “No doubt it will be hard to bounce back after you saw how the wind was taken out of the kids’ sails (after the loss), but our kids are self-motivated. I think they are definitely going to bounce back and play hard to the end.”
The teams combined for 28 hits in the opening game. The Volunteers earned the victory thanks in part to a throw from center fielder Drew Pellum to catcher Colby Runnels that erased Thomas DeGrange at home in the bottom of the sixth inning with what would have been the tying run.
Branch argued the call, saying Runnels didn’t have the ball when he blocked the plate and DeGrange’s path to home plate, but the umpire called DeGrange out. The National Federation of State High School Associations states a player isn’t allowed to block a base when he doesn’t have possession of the baseball.
Branch said he and the Patriots have put that decision behind them and are eager to get back on the field and to push the series to a third game.
“We have to win two games regardless who is on the field,” Branch said. “I think you will see a lot of energy and a lot of emotion.”
Branch said senior right-hander James Clark will start today. He said Garrett Hall, Parker Dunaway, Brandon Newton, and Hunter Ward, who started game one, would be available for a “committee” approach on the mound for game three.
M.J. Hamrick, who was a starting pitcher in division series in the regular series, isn’t available to pitch after he suffered an injury to his right arm. The injury to Hamrick’s pitching arm didn’t prevent him from playing in game one and hitting a home run.
A crowd of 400-500 watched the game at Trip Carson Field. Both coaches anticipate a crowd of similar size tonight. If Heritage Academy (18-13) wins game two, the size of that crowd likely will increase as word gets out that the winner of game three will advance to play for the state title.
“Our fans really did show up,” Henry said. “They brought a great crowd to Heritage. We expect another good crowd tonight.”
That would be another significant accomplishment for Starkville Academy (22-9), the top seed from the South Division, which is back in the playoffs for the first time since 2006. Henry said he didn’t want to make any predictions about what kind of game the teams would play tonight. He feels his team will be ready after a solid practice Wednesday.
“It won’t be easy (to forget that game), but we have played three-game series all year, so I think we will be mentally stable,” Henry said.
Henry said Pellum will start tonight and that he will worry about who he will go to in game three if he is forced to make that decision. He said he likes where his pitching staff is entering the series, and is confident about his team’s chances.
“I think Pellum is going to give us a great start,” Henry said.
Adam Minichino is the former Sports Editor for The Commercial Dispatch.
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