CRHSeagle
05-16-2005, 12:43 AM
Baseball: Pilot Point drops series opener
08:37 AM CDT on Friday, May 13, 2005
By Ethan B. Szatmary / Stafff Writer
NORTH RICHLAND HILLS — Game 1 of Pilot Point’s Class 3A Region I area playoff series against Fort Worth Castleberry ended in a familiar fashion for Pilot Point athletics lately – controversy.
The Bearcats (18-7) fell, 6-4, to the Lions (14-13) at Rebel Yard, and they had a seventh-inning rally extinguished by a pair of controversial calls during one at-bat.
Pilot Point catcher Keith Peacock came to the plate as the tying run in a 6-3 game with no out and runners on first and second. Castleberry catcher Tony Steward, who just put on the gear behind the plate at the start of the inning when regular catcher Bobby Hernandez relieved starter James Lollis, appeared to interfere with Peacock as he hit a grounder to second. But, no interference was called.
When second baseman Oscar Avila attempted to turn two, Pilot Point shortstop Ethan Stuckley slid to break up the play at second and was not only called out but also called for interference, making Peacock out at first.
“That was catcher interference, “Peacock said.
“I was going into second base, and I went out of the baseline a little and clipped him in the legs,” Stuckley said. “That’s what I’ve been taught all of my life – to take him out. That’s what I did, and he called me out.”
Big brother Jacob Stuckley then redeemed Ethan with an RBI single, but Hernandez got Grant Guthrie to ground out to end the game. Jacob Stuckley finished 2-for-3 with an RBI and a walk.
Head coach Kenny Calhoun did not blame the bad calls for the loss. Pilot Point committed three errors in the first three innings that led to a 3-0 deficit.
“The three errors is the big deal in this one really,” Calhoun said. “It’s the way we’ve practiced all week. You play like you practice and our practice was pitiful all week long. We took this team too lightly.”
The Bearcats answered with three runs in the top of the fifth, with second baseman Ryan Hardin driving in third baseman James Bartee with a single, and Ethan Stuckley and Keith Peacock both coming up with fielder’s choices to drive in runs. Hardin finished 2-for-3 with an RBI and a walk.
But, Castleberry came right back, as right fielder Ryan Matney led off the bottom of the inning with a triple, starting a two-run inning that chased Pilot Point starter John Grumbles from the game. Matney went 3-for-4 on the night with an RBI and a run. The Lions added another run in the bottom of the sixth.
Grumbles gave up five runs on six hits with five strikeouts and three walks on 87 pitches.
After the game, the Bearcats were no longer taking Castlberry lightly with ace pitcher Tim Ford scheduled to start in Game 2 today.
“I’m not going to lie to you. We came out and took it easy on them,” Peacock said. “We weren’t ready to play today.
“We’ve got our ace going tomorrow, and when he’s on, nobody can stop him. Nobody wants to go home. I think we’ll come back tomorrow and be ready to play. If we play like we’ve been playing, that team won’t stop us.”
ETHAN B. SZATMARY can be reached at 940-566-6869.
Fort Worth Castleberry 6, Pilot Point 4
Pilot Point 000 030 1 — 6 7 3
Castleberry 003 021 x — 4 9 2
John Grumbles, Jacob Ashcraft (5) and Keith Peacock. James Lollis, Bobby Hernandez (7) and Hernandez, Tony Steward. W – Lollis (2-1); L – Grumbles (5-2). 3B – FWC: Steward, Ryan Matney, Lollis. 2B – PP: Tim Ford; FWC: Roman Mercado. Records – Pilot Point (18-7); Forth Worth Castleberry (14-13).
08:37 AM CDT on Friday, May 13, 2005
By Ethan B. Szatmary / Stafff Writer
NORTH RICHLAND HILLS — Game 1 of Pilot Point’s Class 3A Region I area playoff series against Fort Worth Castleberry ended in a familiar fashion for Pilot Point athletics lately – controversy.
The Bearcats (18-7) fell, 6-4, to the Lions (14-13) at Rebel Yard, and they had a seventh-inning rally extinguished by a pair of controversial calls during one at-bat.
Pilot Point catcher Keith Peacock came to the plate as the tying run in a 6-3 game with no out and runners on first and second. Castleberry catcher Tony Steward, who just put on the gear behind the plate at the start of the inning when regular catcher Bobby Hernandez relieved starter James Lollis, appeared to interfere with Peacock as he hit a grounder to second. But, no interference was called.
When second baseman Oscar Avila attempted to turn two, Pilot Point shortstop Ethan Stuckley slid to break up the play at second and was not only called out but also called for interference, making Peacock out at first.
“That was catcher interference, “Peacock said.
“I was going into second base, and I went out of the baseline a little and clipped him in the legs,” Stuckley said. “That’s what I’ve been taught all of my life – to take him out. That’s what I did, and he called me out.”
Big brother Jacob Stuckley then redeemed Ethan with an RBI single, but Hernandez got Grant Guthrie to ground out to end the game. Jacob Stuckley finished 2-for-3 with an RBI and a walk.
Head coach Kenny Calhoun did not blame the bad calls for the loss. Pilot Point committed three errors in the first three innings that led to a 3-0 deficit.
“The three errors is the big deal in this one really,” Calhoun said. “It’s the way we’ve practiced all week. You play like you practice and our practice was pitiful all week long. We took this team too lightly.”
The Bearcats answered with three runs in the top of the fifth, with second baseman Ryan Hardin driving in third baseman James Bartee with a single, and Ethan Stuckley and Keith Peacock both coming up with fielder’s choices to drive in runs. Hardin finished 2-for-3 with an RBI and a walk.
But, Castleberry came right back, as right fielder Ryan Matney led off the bottom of the inning with a triple, starting a two-run inning that chased Pilot Point starter John Grumbles from the game. Matney went 3-for-4 on the night with an RBI and a run. The Lions added another run in the bottom of the sixth.
Grumbles gave up five runs on six hits with five strikeouts and three walks on 87 pitches.
After the game, the Bearcats were no longer taking Castlberry lightly with ace pitcher Tim Ford scheduled to start in Game 2 today.
“I’m not going to lie to you. We came out and took it easy on them,” Peacock said. “We weren’t ready to play today.
“We’ve got our ace going tomorrow, and when he’s on, nobody can stop him. Nobody wants to go home. I think we’ll come back tomorrow and be ready to play. If we play like we’ve been playing, that team won’t stop us.”
ETHAN B. SZATMARY can be reached at 940-566-6869.
Fort Worth Castleberry 6, Pilot Point 4
Pilot Point 000 030 1 — 6 7 3
Castleberry 003 021 x — 4 9 2
John Grumbles, Jacob Ashcraft (5) and Keith Peacock. James Lollis, Bobby Hernandez (7) and Hernandez, Tony Steward. W – Lollis (2-1); L – Grumbles (5-2). 3B – FWC: Steward, Ryan Matney, Lollis. 2B – PP: Tim Ford; FWC: Roman Mercado. Records – Pilot Point (18-7); Forth Worth Castleberry (14-13).