Ragsdale's One Run Luck Runs Out

They've been living on the edge the last two weeks and came up just short this time

N Gaston 6
Ragsdale 5 8 innings
WP Jake Buchanan LP Catlin Carter (7-1)

Jake Buchanan pitched 8 complete for the win. Catlin Carter after two innings of relief for the win last night pitched 8 complete for his first loss of the year. #9 Eric ? hit a first pitch solo homer in the eighth for the win.

I'll put together a complete report in a few. My back and throat are hurting right now

rubber game tomorrow night in Dallas. Mullins will be throwing for Ragsdale so they'll have that going for them.

 

Ragsdale continued its string of one run games at four but came up on the losing end this time. Rain and lightning delayed the start of the game about 35 minutes but once it started the rain stayed away.

Catlin Carter got the start after pitching 1 2/3 innings of relief last night and scoring the winning run to move his record to 7-0. Carter started off very shaky. Spencer Robinson smacked his first pitch into left field for a double and after that Carter looked like he was afraid to throw strikes. After DJ Shive? Sacrificed him to third, Kyle Martin singled to drive in the first run of the game. Carrigan up next walked then Jake Buchanan singled to load the bases. Carter started to settle down, striking out Brett Williams then had a passed ball bring in the second run before coaxing a pop out to Eric Downs.

Buchanan looked sharp and Ragsdale was swinging to start the game. I remember very few swinging strikes by Ragsdale the first few innings. They were fouling off every thing near the plate. They hit the ball hard but except for Trevor Mullins two out double they couldn’t do any damage. N Gaston 2-0 after one.

After his shaky start, Carter found his groove and retired the next nine in a row, four by strikeouts. Ragsdale wasted a leadoff single by Brent O’Berry in the second as Phelps and Carter both struck out. Ragsdale put up all their runs in the third due to some lucky bounces and poor defense by N Gaston. With one out, Brian Goodwin reached with a single on a bang bang play – NG coach didn’t like the call (he didn’t like many that inning) Ben Vestal worked Buchanan hard for a walk as did Mullins to load the bases. Jason Wallace then hit a grounder to second, it was hard to tell if the NG 2B was trying to throw to first or tag Mullins then throw but Mullins and the 2B bumped – ball pops out everybody safe 1 run in. O Berry then drew a walk to tie the game. Phelps then sacrificed in the go ahead run, and then Buchanan with probably his only bad play of the night threw a Cat Carter grounder over the first baseman’s head for a two run error. End of 3 – Ragsdale 5 N Gaston 2 with Buchanan looking shaky.

N Gaston got it going in the fifth scoring three to tie it up. Seth Black hit one deep in the hole to 2B leading off, Chase Jones made a great stop but fell on his arm and couldn’t get up to make the throw. Josh Ley ? then hard bunted towards first, Carter’s ball but he tripped off the mound, no play, 2 on nobody out. Carter settled down striking out the next two. But then a key call by Coach Maness that may have cost the game. With a 2-0 count to Martin, they intentionally walked him to load the bases to set up a force out at any base. Carter lost the plate and walked Carrigan to make it 5-3. Jake Buchanan really made them play with a 2 RBI single next to knot the game at 5-5.

After his shaky outing in the third, Buchanan settled down and Ragsdale really couldn’t do any damage the rest of the game. They got men in scoring position but never could get them home. Carter stayed in the game going into the eighth tied up 5-5. Eric Downs got his second hit of the night, driving Carter’s first pitch over the left field wall for a 6-5 lead. Carter set the next three down. But with Brandon Phelps on second after a one out single and throwing error, Buchanan got Carter to pop out to second and Bumgarner to ground out to earn the win.

Buchanan and Carter both pitched well but N Gaston got the hits when they needed them. Carter went 8 complete giving up nine hits, four walks (two intentional) striking out 13. Buchanan also went eight giving up five hits, four walks striking out 7. Buchanan also did it with his bat going 2-3 with two big RBIs.

My only real complaint about the officiating was the umps strike zone completely went haywire half way through the game – he made way too many bad strike calls going both ways. Carter threw a shoulder high fastball – strike. Buchanan throws one way low and way inside – strike. Two feet outside – might just be a strike. The ump had the batters guessing the last few innings.

But hats off to N Gaston – they were the first to beat Carter and hand Ragsdale their only loss at home this year. Mullins should be good to go tomorrow night so win 15 would be a nice way to get to the state championship. Heard Ragsdale had a good fan showing Thursday night hope a bunch make the trip one more time.

N Gaston 200 030 01 – 6 9 4
Ragsdale 005 000 00 – 5 5 1

 

great report.

 

Wossa's the best. It should be a great game Saturday...and I'm sure it will be packed

 

Thanks guys. If I had more time I'd pretty it up, get some coach quotes and write for the Jamestown News since they don't have a sports reporter.

I hope Mullins does pitch tonight. Maness may just be throwing up a smoke screen but if Mullins doesn't start it would have to be Tyler Rankin since Carter just threw 10 2/3 innings over the last two days and Phelps would be going on one days rest. Rankin can be dead on at times but Maness didn't really pitch him much this year, even in relief. Not sure if he lost confidence in him or what. He probably would have relieved Carter last night if the game had kept going.

I can't make the trip so I'll be hanging on the net late trying to find a score.

Here's the Greensboro News & Record report :

http://www.news-record.com/apps/pbcs.dll/Section?Category=NEWSREC0205