BLYTHEWOOD – The Blythewood baseball team may still struggle at times to string together some timely hits, but at Spring Valley Friday night the Bengals didn’t need hits to clinch a 4-2 come-from-behind win.
Blythewood (18-6, 11-3 Region 3-5A) got four runs off of two Vikings errors, two walks, and aggressive baserunning in the top of the sixth inning to wipe out a 2-0 deficit and finish region play with a second place standing behind champion Fort Mill.
“We had to get baserunners first,” head coach Travis Poole said. “We were able to get a guy on with one out and move him over. It’s fortunate to have a guy on the bases that can run. We got some hits (balls put into play) when we needed and some aggressive baserunning I think opened the door.”
Spring Valley pitcher Jacob Smoak 3-hit the Bengals through five scoreless innings, while the Vikings got a run in the first inning and a run in the fourth for the 2-0 lead.
Sammy Franklin got the Blythewood rally started with one out in the sixth when he reached base on an infield error. Franklin stole second as Landon Penfield batted, but Smoak walked Penfield and then Macon Leppert to load the bases. Before Leppert walked, Franklin reached third on a passed ball.
Franklin scored the first Bengals run on another passed ball as Harrison Collins batted. Porter Rummel, running for Penfield, took third and Eli Marsha, running for Leppert, took second on the play.
With Blythewood down 2-1 and still just one out in the sixth, Collins slapped a ground ball on a 1-2 pitch that went as an infield error and scored both Rummel and Marsha to make it 3-2 Bengals. Collins took second on the play.
Jackson Bottar sacrifice bunted Collins to third for the second out, and as Amare Counts batted, Collins scored the fourth run on a wild pitch.
Counts struck out to end the inning, but the Bengals came out of the frame with a 2-run lead.
From there it was up to Bottar, who came on the mound to start the fifth inning in relief of starter Harrison Collins.
Bottar gave up a leadoff hit to Smoak, but struck out Walker Thompson and Newton Goodson to get out of the bottom of the sixth. Bottar also surrendered a hit to leadoff the seventh, but struck out Dylan Redden and got Alex Lance to pop out and Brady Evans to fly out to close out a win.
“For Harrison Collins that was only his third outing of the year and his first start,” Poole said. “He’s been a little better, he was a little rusty with his command but he battled out of it. Jackson’s been clutch all year and did the job when we needed it done.”
Smoak worked a complete game for the Vikings, giving up three hits, walking three and striking out nine.”
“Their kid, he threw a heck of a game,” Poole said of Smoak. “I tip my hat to him.”
Blythewood had an easier time with Spring Valley April 17, beating the Vikings 7-0. In that game the Bengals racked up 9 hits, including five doubles, from Penfield, Bottar, Harrison Collins, Alex Myers and Amare Counts. Penfield and Bottar had two hits apiece.
Johnny Collins pitched a complete-game 1-hitter, striking out 10.
The Bengals played Fort Mill Wednesday, a rescheduled game, to close out region play.
They will play in the District 3 tournament in the upper state beginning Tuesday, April 30. The Bengals will play host to the fourth-place team from Region 2.
April 17
Spring Valley – 0-0-0-0-0-0-0 – 0, 1, 1
Blythewood – 6-0-1-0-0-0-x – 7, 9, 3
WP: Johnny Collins.
Hitters: B – Landon Penfield 2-2, 2B. Jackson Bottar 2-3, 2B. Harrison Collins 2B, 2 RBI. Alex Myers 2B. Amare Counts 2B.
Friday
Blythewood – 0-0-0-0-0-4-0 – 4, 3, 0
Spring Valley – 1-0-0-1-0-0-0 – 2, 6, 3
WP: Jackson Bottar.
Hitters: S – Jacob Smoak 2-2, 2B. Jayden Williams 2-3, 2B.