FHS rallies past Claremore in 4-State Festival
Posted on Saturday, March 29, 2008
CLAREMORE, Okla. - Fayetteville turned an early deficit into a surplus.
The Purple Dogs balanced an early 3-0 deficit and eventually reached the black for a 7-5 victory over host Claremore at the 4-State Festival Friday night at Legion Field.
Taylor Shaddy again paced the Purple Dogs at the plate. He went 4 for 4 with a double and an RBI. Shaddy is now 9 for his last 11 in the past three contests.
Right-hander Scott McFall picked up the win for Fayetteville. He allowed 3 runs on 2 hits, walked 5 and fanned 3 in 5 innings of toil. Spencer Hansen entered in the sixth and, after walking the first two batters he faced, recovered to strike out the side.
Since losing their season opener, the Purple Dogs have now won 13 straight contests.
"We're rounding out into a pretty good team," Fayetteville coach Vance Arnold said. "Scott pitched well. He had one inning where he couldn't get adjusted but we talked to him between innings and then he went after it. Then Spencer came out cold from the dugout, walked two then struck out the side.
"I was just impressed with our ability to come back, battle on the mound and then hit a good pitcher. Shaddy got us going. He's just rolling right now and we definitely want him to stay hot. "McFall worked out of a jam in the opening frame after issuing a lead-off walk to Curtis Coyle. McFall fanned Alex Coplon and enticed a popup to short and a ground ball to second to escape unscathed.
The Bulldogs (13-1 ) weren't so lucky in the second following another lead-off walk. Josh Thompson worked a base-on-balls and hustled to second on a wild pitch. Michael Skimbo drew a walk and promptly thieved second. Thompson bolted home on a wild pitch and Hunter Hines labored for the third walk of the inning.
Coyle quickly conked a 2-run single to left for a 3-0 Claremore (5-6 ) lead.
Fayetteville whittled the gap to 3-2 in the top of the third. Adam Baker labored for a lead-off walk and stole second. Shaddy torqued an RBI double to left and subsequent hitter Weston Harbaugh flogged an RBI double off the wall in left.
The Purple Dogs pulled ahead, 4-3, with two runs in the fourth. Dan Hollenbeck poked a lead-off single to shallow right and Miller reached on a misplayed sacrifice-bunt attempt back to the pitcher. Kellen Summers' sacrifice bunt advanced the runners to second and third. Baker drove in a run on a ground ball to second and Miller rushed home on a wild pitch for the go-ahead tally.
McFall bailed himself out of another predicament in the fourth without damage. Blake Grauer reached on an error to lead off the inning, moved to second on a sacrifice bunt and scrambled to third on a wild pitch. Coyle followed with a walk but got caught in a rundown between first and second. An astute McFall quickly wheeled home to catch Grauer sneaking home for the third out.
Fayetteville took advantage of Claremore charity in the sixth. Hollenbeck's popup to short was dropped to ignite the push. A Miller sacrifice bunt moved the runner and Summers labored for a walk to follow.
Baker sliced a 2-run double to left and scored on Franco Broyles' single to left for a 7-3 Fayetteville lead.
Shaddy took the hill in the seventh and Claremore summoned a rally. Travis Stafford tagged a double to left and Josh Thompson hammered a 2-run homer to left, cutting the difference to 7-5. But it was as close as the Zebras would get.
Fayetteville resumes play at Claremore today versus Fort Gibson, Okla., at 3 p.m. Mike Sisco will get the start on the mound for the Purple Dogs today.
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