Bulldogs' Phillips gets redemption in 10th

By News-Argus Staff
Published in Sports on April 11, 2014 1:48 PM

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Nick Phillips didn't dwell on a missed defensive opportunity to turn a rally-killing double play Thursday afternoon.

He delivered a big hit, instead. The Princeton sophomore stroked a lead-off triple to start the 10th inning and trotted home as the game-winning run one batter later in a nail-biting, 9-8 triumph over Wayne Christian.

The Bulldogs (6-8 overall) claimed their first road victory in five tries this spring and swept the regular-season series from the Eagles.

"It was a good game," PHS head coach Bruce Proctor said. "They went after it. We went after it. Our kids didn't quit, kept playing and I was proud of them. We got some free baseball in.

"That was fun, man."

The teams combined for four double plays in the 2-hour, 53-minute affair. Princeton nearly turned a fourth-inning triple play and just missed converting a potential game-ending DP in the ninth.

Wayne Christian (6-3 overall) stranded 14 runners on base, including 11 in scoring position. The Eagles failed to push across the game-winning run in each of the seventh and eighth innings.

"For us, there is a lot we can learn from a game like this," said WCS head coach Curt Hinton, whose team collected 16 hits on the day. "Like I told them (after the game) there were about five, six or seven small things we didn't do that could have turned the tables."

Starter Ted Suggs and right-handed reliever Holden Foster combined to retire 11 of 13 batters during three-plus innings until Foster encountered trouble in the seventh.

The Bulldogs' Tyler Ricks connected on a one-out single and advanced to third on Waylon Woodall's double. Foster loaded the bases with a walk, which set the table for Mario Cisneros.

Cisneros watched a strike drop into Hunter Burt's glove and half swung at Foster's next offering. Three pitches later, Cisneros smashed a bases-clearing, game-tying double into the power alley.

The score stood 7-7.

"A big hit from Junior," grinned Proctor. "That kid deserves it and just works really hard. He was due for something good to happen and I was so glad to see that for him."

Princeton moved in front 8-7 in the top of the ninth, only to see Wayne Christian tie the contest on a fielder's choice grounder that Phillips almost turned into a game-ending double play.

Phillips quickly forgot about it. He smacked a belt-high pitch to the fence in right field to start the 10th.

"A curveball right down the middle ... wanted to hit the ball hard," Phillips said.

Matt Daughtry stepped into the box and Foster's first offering just missed the strike zone. After Daughtry let a good pitch get away, his next swing resulted in a hard infield grounder that scored Phillips and put the Dogs back in front, 9-8.

"I just had to keep my head right and not let it bother me because I knew I should have swung at the first one," Daughtry said. "I knew I needed to get the run in, tried to take it backside. It didn't take it backside, but it worked out in the end."

Beasley secured the comeback by retiring the Eagles in order in the 10th. The right-hander tossed 52/3 innings of three-hit, four-strikeout relief.