HHJ Two hurlers going the distance at Dyson Field Tuesday. Above is Warner Robins High’s Caden Johnston.
Byrne bunts Eagles past WR Demons
mbrown@sunmulti.com A baseball can travel 360 feet off a bat, or just 360 inches. Either way can decide a game at a critical time. Both things (estimated, of course) happened Tuesday at Dyson Field, and it was Derek Byrne’s squeeze bunt that helped the home Northside High club overcome a long home run by Warner Robins High’s A.J. Priaulx. Coming off back-to-back losses, the Eagles and head coach Chris Harrelson prevailed against Bill Beatty’s Demons 3-2.
Northside was going through a skid of three losses in four games, two of which counted in its 2-AAAAA sub-region. On Friday, Jones County took a slugfest in walk-off fashion in Gray 11-10. It was in a non-region affair Monday at Tift County that the Eagles got slugged 11-0.
Warner Robins was looking to build off its first sub-region win the week before when Caden Johnston shut out Jones County at home. The Demons then gave first place Houston County High a battle only to fall by one run at the Demon Diamond the following Friday.
Johnston was on the mound again for Beatty at Dyson Field, and he worked another complete game. His counterpart for Northside, Jason Gifford, also pitched all seven innings.
As Harrelson stated from the dugout at the end of the fifth frame, this rivalry battle became a two-inning game with the score tied 1-1. The left-handed hitting Priaulx went a little bit the opposite way, but the baseball traveled well over the fence to break that tie in favor of Warner Robins.
Gifford retired the side in order after the blast. Defensive help came from third baseman Alex Vanderstock and his handling of a tough grounder. Priaulx’s home run was the fourth hit against Gifford. Landon Hopf singled in the seventh for safety No. 5, but Gifford also struck out the side to give him seven whiffs.
Johnston faced straight two-out trouble in the bottom of the sixth. His win against Jones was a one-hitter, and that’s what he had going Tuesday until Ethan Broome sent a first-pitch double into the left-field corner. Harrelson sent Kendall Scott to the plate as a pinch hitter, but Beatty elected to walk him intentionally.
That was the third walk charged to Johnston, and his fourth loaded the bases for Trey Payne. Instead of a linebacker trying to bring down a quarterback on a read option, Johnston (the QB) got Payne (the LB) to hit a long (maybe 350 feet) out to Cody Suskay in centerfield.
It didn’t take a long hit, however, for the Eagles to stage a seventh-inning winning rally. No. 9 hitter Bryan Dyson bunted for a one-out single. Jesus Monserratt, without a hit all game, ripped a line-drive double in the right-center gap, and Dyson raced home to tie the game.
Monserratt took third base on Warner Robins’ relay throw at the plate. Byrne placed the first pitch he saw on the ground far enough away to give the leadoff batter a chance to score. The Demons can look back to a lost scoring opportunity in the second inning thanks to Payne’s arm in left field. This was a straight two-out situation where Jarrod Crum struck out, but the third strike got away. That gave designated hitter Wesley Davis a chance to hit, and he singled to bring up Hopf.
Though Hoph singled, Payne got to the baseball and fired a strike to catcher Griffen Nauss for the inning-ending out.
In the top of the third, Warner Robins ended the deadlock as every runner reached base with two outs. Josh King and Priaulx drew walks, and catcher Trey Maddox grounded a single bringing home King. Gifford got out of the inning stranding two in scoring position.
Both Suskay and Payne made incredible outfield catches, Suskay robbing Dyson on a dive while Payne raced to the fence in foul territory, reached over and caught a high pop-up.
To tie the game 1-1, Northside got a leadoff double – the first hit off Johnston – from Taylor Poole in the home fifth. With one out, Nauss reached on an error, though he did beat a recovery from second baseman Brannon Green by a step. Poole scored as Dyson hit into a 4-6 fielder’s choice.
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