Jacob Declemente (21), Ian Stephan (14), Aiden Massey (13), Thomas Murphy (7), Banks Faulkner (11, Head Coach, Daniel Zippel (3), Todd Mattox (4), Landon Cruz (20), Hunter McCoy (19), pose for one last picture as teammates on Blythewood’s senior night. Photo/GoFlashWin
BLYTHEWOOD-On Friday night, three days after Spring Valley beat Blythewood 6-5 in nine innings, the Bengals returned the favor, albeit in slightly less dramatic flair.
The Bengals built a 7-0 lead at the Blythewood baseball field over the Region V-5A rival Vikings, and closed out a 7-4 win on Senior Night.
Even though no extra-inning heroics were needed, the Bengals needed three pitchers to get out of a seventh-inning jam. Spring Valley had the bases loaded with nobody out before the final reliever John Lanier began to close out the game.
“You gotta embrace the pressure and learn to enjoy it,” Banks Faulkner said, noting his team’s late-inning struggles. “But we still get uncomfortable in that situation, but that’s just a young team.”
With one run in, Wynston Dyer reached on a bloop single into short left that scored Daishon Redden, but Baylor Berry was thrown out trying for third on the play. Later, Khyree Miller hit into a fielder’s choice and Hunter Rogers grounded out to end the game.
“We continued to battle,” Faulkner said. “We played error-free baseball, which was really good, and we’re looking forward to go on the road to competing against Sumter.”
Blythewood, 14-10 overall, finishes Region 5-5A play 6-6. The Bengals head to Sumter Tuesday to take on the Gamecocks in the opening round of the 5A-District VII tournament.
The Bengals put four pitchers on the mound Friday night.
Ben Lang-Spittler started the game and went three innings, followed by Landon Lucas, who gave up three runs on six hits in three-plus innings of work.
Lucas started the seventh, but left the mound after two batters. Hunter McCoy faced two batters and Lanier three.
“We had planned that. We wanted to keep our options open for Tuesday,” Faulkner said. “It’s probably going to be a combination of guys. We haven’t decided completely what we’re going to do, but Benny’s battling an oblique issue and that limits him, he can’t come down to the side and mix his arm angles, and that’s what he needs to do to be his best.”
Lang-Spittler got into trouble in the first, loading the bases with one out, but he got Ryan Gurganious to ground out and Bryson Garrett to fly out to end the inning. In his time on the mound he faced 13 batters, struck out one, walked one, and hit one batter.
Meanwhile, the Bengals got to Spring Valley starting pitcher Baylor Berry early. Todd Mattox led off the game with a double, and Aidan Massey singled him in. Later in the inning, with two out, Landon Cruz reached on an error that scored Massey to give Blythewood a 2-0 lead.
Courtesy Runner Ian Stephen, running for Josh Cowan, who had singled, was caught in a rundown between second and third for the final out.
Blythewood picked up three runs in the third and two more in the fourth to build a 7-0 lead.
Massey’s single enabled Mattox to score, Lang-Spittler tripled in Massey, and Zach Bailes drove in Lang-Spittler on a bunt single in the third.
In the fourth, Massey drove in Jacob DeClemente and Spittler batted in Mattox.
“We mixed the lineup a little bit, Mattox led us off and we put Massey at No.2,” Faulkner said. “He (Massey) has been a really good hitter. He’s struggled at getting RBIs in some situation, but he had three RBIs tonight and had a good night at the plate.”
Massey went 3-for-4, Mattox went 2-for-3 with two doubles, and Lang-Spittler went 2-4 with a triple.
Spring Valley got two runs in the fifth and two more in the seventh. Chase Hayes doubled twice for the Vikings. Ronald Hollins also doubled and went 2-for-4. Miller went 2-for-3
Spring Valley 0-0-0-0-1-0-2- 4 8 2
Blythewood:2-0-3-2-0-0-x-7 11 0
WP: Ben Lang-Spittler. LP: Baylor Berry.
Hitters: Spring Valley – Chase Hayes, 2-3, 2B (2). Ronald Hollins 2-4, 2B. Khyree Miller 2-3. Wynston Dyer 2B. Blythewood – Aidan Massey 3-4. Todd Mattox 2-3, 2B (2). Ben Lang-Spittler 2-4, 3B.
