Pirates split with Trumann

TRUMANN -- The Gosnell Pirates traveled to Trumann to take on the Wildcats in a key 3-4A conference double-header matchup Tuesday night and came away with a split, dropping the opener, 4-1, but winning the nightcap, 6-4.

GAME ONE

Trumann 4, Gosnell 1

Trumann (2-3 3-4A) received a five-hit, one-run performance from ace pitcher, Nathan Maxwell, Tuesday night to take the first game. Maxwell struck out seven Pirates over seven complete innings of work and didn't allow a hit until the top of the fourth inning.

"He (Maxwell) kept our hitters off balanced all night," said Pirate head coach Bret Jackson. "We just couldn't get anything going against him and when we did, we just couldn't find the holes in the defense."

Jackson has been preaching the importance of timely hitting all season long and Tuesday night was a perfect example. Each team collected five hits in the first game with Trumann manufacturing four runs off of their five hits and the Pirates just managing one in the top of the seventh.

Gosnell (7-5, 2-3 3-4A) put the first two men on base in the top of the first inning thanks to a couple of Wildcat defensive miscues but could not get anyone across the plate.

Maxwell got Bradley Thomas to ground into a double play and then struck out Blake Sullivan to end the inning. The first inning was a preview of what was to come in game one. The Pirates hit into three double plays in the game -- in the first, fourth and fifth innings to end scoring threats. Gosnell was just 1-4 in the game with runners in scoring position.

Maxwell did his job at the plate as well. His two-run single in the bottom of the first put the Wildcats up, 2-0.

Gosnell starting pitcher, Taylor Jolly, settled down over the next few innings retiring nine batters in a row between the first and fourth innings.

Jolly (3 1/3 innings pitched, 3 earned runs, three hits and five strike outs) got the first batter out in the fourth before running into trouble. After loading the bases with one out, Jolly walked Jay Woods to give Trumann a 3-0 lead. Relief pitcher Will Camp gave up a bases-loaded single to the first batter he faced, Taylor Wilson, and the Wildcats had a 4-0 advantage.

Camp allowed just two hits in two and two thirds innings pitched in another strong outing for the ninth grader.

"He's (Camp) throwing strikes, keeping the hitters off balanced and letting his defense get the outs," said Jackson. "He's not striking people out but he's putting the ball in play and letting the defense do their job."

The Pirates finally got to Maxwell in the top of the seventh. Sullivan walked to lead off the inning but Maxwell quickly picked up two strikeouts. Camp doubled to right field putting Sullivan on third. Matt Robinson's infield hit scored Sullivan to cut the lead to 4-1 but Maxwell quickly got Jolly to hit a come-backer to the pitchers mound to end the Pirate threat, and the game.

Robinson (1-3 with an RBI), Braxton Champion (2-3), Ethan Ballard (1-3) and Ricky Gable (1-3) picked up hits for the Pirates in game one.

GAME TWO

Gosnell 6, Trumann 4

Gosnell built a 6-1 advantage and held off a late-inning comeback from Trumann in the second game.

Gosnell pitcher, Blake Sullivan, went the distance allowing four runs (three earned) on six hits while striking out eight over seven innings pitched.

The Pirates jumped on Trumann starting pitcher, Jay Wood, in the first inning plating three runs to take an early, 3-0 advantage.

Braxton Champion scored the first run all by himself. He hit a one out single to center, stole second and third base. Catcher Zach Vinson's throw to third ended up in the right field allowing Champion to score from third.

Bradley Thomas walked and Ethan Ballard doubled him to third. Jake Westmoreland singled brining both runners home.

"I'm proud of the way our guys responded in the second game," said Jackson. "We could have just put our heads down after the first game and gotten run over but we bounced back. That says a lot about our team."

The Pirates added another run in the top of the second as Taylor Jolly hit a one-out double to the center field gap scoring Jay Chandler from third base giving the Pirates a 4-0 advantage.

Sullivan cruised through the first four innings allowing just one hit and one unearned run while striking out six in the process. Zach Vinson scored for the Wildcats in the bottom of the fourth on a couple of Pirate throwing errors to cut the lead to 4-1.

Things heated up in the top of the sixth. Thomas led off the inning with a double to right center field and scored on a Ballard single to left giving the Pirates a 5-1 advantage. With one out, and Ballard on third, Matt Miller hit a sacrifice fly to center with Ballard tagging. Trumann catcher, Jay Vinson, moved up the line to catch the throw. Ballard moved to his left to try to avoid Vinson as he slid head first into home. The two players collided with Vinson being knocked over and unable to continue. Ballard's slide was ruled legal and the run counted giving the Pirates a 6-1 advantage but not before a long protest from the Wildcat bench.

"It was just a hard baseball play," said Jackson. "From their (Trumann) side, they see Ethan (Ballard) running over their catcher. From our side, I saw him (Ballard) try to avoid the catcher but he came up the third base line and they just collided. The umpire made the correct call and I know Ethan didn't try to hurt the kid but you hate to see a kid go down like that under any circumstance."

The Wilcats appeared to gain momentum from the controversial call and picked up three consecutive hits to start the bottom of the sixth as Sullivan began to labor for the first time in the ball game. After an RBI single from Dillon Vincent cut the Pirate lead to 6-2, A.J. Washington cut the lead in half with a one out two-run single. Michael Cris walked and advanced to second giving Trumann runners on second and third with one out. Sullivan struck out Dillon Dulaney and Jay Chandler made a nice catch at second to end the inning. Sullivan picked up an easy one-two-three inning in the bottom of the seventh to end the game.

"Blake (Sullivan) really worked hard towards the end," said Jackson. "I was on the fence about pulling him but he told me he wanted the ball and I felt he deserved a chance to finish his game. He showed a lot of guts. We really needed that win."

Gosnell has the rest of the week off before heading to Paragould Friday to participate in the Paragould Tournament over the weekend.

afitzpatrick@blythevillecourier.com