“It’s up there,” said Nauss after becoming the winning pitcher in relief as Northside topped Jones 7-3 to all but fully assure it would be second place in the final sub-region standings (a Jones loss to Houston County Thursday would lock that in, see related story).
Nauss also batted home the winning run on a play he knew he had to make look “special,” at least in the eyes of the Greyhound infield.
It all began in the fifth inning, one that began with the Eagles leading 3-1. Jones put the first two batters on base against starting hurler Jason Gifford, and then coach Barry Veal sent up a pinch hitter in what everyone watching at Dyson Field could tell was a bunting situation.
Chris Harrelson and the Eagle dugout knew what was going on and instructed the infield to make the appropriate moves known as the ‘wheel play.’ Gifford got the baseball off the grass while shortstop Jesus Monserratt covered third base for the force out.
Jones County still made something out of the threat, grounding a single through the infield to cut Northside’s lead to 3-2. Afterwards, another ‘wheel play’ of sorts took place as Nauss went from catching to the pitcher’s mound.
“I’ve done it since I was 8 or 9,” said Nauss about making this abrupt in-game adjustment. “It’s still tough, but it keeps me in the game.”
Ethan Broome went from first base to behind the plate, and Trey Payne, the starter in left field, re-entered to replace Broome.
Nauss induced two fly-balls to left that should have had him and all else in blue sitting down. But the first one was dropped to load the bases, and Jones tied the score with a sacrifice fly. The third batter Nauss faced, which happened to be Jones pitcher Chandler Green, also flied out.
Jones only had one other batter reach (HBP) over the next two innings. Nauss struck out three, including a swing-and-miss on a full count to end the sixth.
“I tried to get there as fast as I could,” he said. “Coach always tells us to hustle hard. I knew it was a tough play … I had to make it look special, or they would think it was a routine play and the umpire would call me out.”
Going into its sixth-inning turn, Northside had left seven runners on base (two in the fifth). The Eagles gave their pitcher plenty of cushion with three runs on four hits (and one runner left).
Bryan Dyson led off punching a single to right. With one out, big senior Tyler Mize reached on an infield hit (Derek Byrne re-entered to run the bases). Broome hit a shot that Jones booted on the fielder’s choice try, so Kendall Scott batted with teammates on every base.
Facing a drawn-in infield, the designated hitter chopped the ball over the second baseman to plate two runs. Vanderstock’s clean single upped the lead to 7-3.
Gifford gave up two hits and one run over the first four innings. Northside only needed one hit to score two times in the first, and just like in the fifth every Eagle reached with two down.
Jones committed a two-base error against Broome, and Scott walked following a wild pitch. Broome scored on a second wild pitch, and Scott scurried home to score on Vanderstock’s single.
Monserratt walked leading off the home third, and the Eagles got that run back as Broome fisted a ball high where it could fall fair in shallow right.
• It’s been a particularly tough senior season for Scott … at least since March 26 when Northside played at Houston County. As a relief pitcher, Scott suffered a torn UCL in one of his elbows. He said the tear actually occurred in the third inning, but he continued to work through the pain into the sixth inning.
Now, Scott faces Tommy John surgery on May 9. But that was it for pitching, catching and playing the outfield. Scott can still bat and bat effectively, and he said he’s learning how to throw left-handed.
The injury didn’t just cost Scott roles on the Eagles, but a scholarship offer from ABAC. He said both ABAC and Gordon College have talked to him about walking on and taking the 2014 season as a medical redshirt year. Scott said, by working with a training staff at whatever college he decides to attend, he could be 100 percent healthy by April of next year.
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