Coker Gilbert applies the tag at the plate to a sliding Jordan Wilson. (Photo/Martha Ladd)
WINNSBORO – Timing is everything. In baseball, timely hitting is sometimes the only thing.
The Eagles couldn’t get those precious timely hits Tuesday night, stranding 11 runners in a 6-4 loss to Laurens Academy. The SCISA Class A Region II loss puts the standings in chaos heading into the final week of the regular season, with Richard Winn, King and Laurens all in the playoff mix. The Eagles were slated to face King Wednesday, after The Voice went to press.
On the bright side, the Eagles have Elijah Tucker back in the lineup. Tucker was injured last week in a play at the plate against King, dislocating his left shoulder. Tucker got the start Tuesday, but was hung with the loss, giving up 6 runs on 7 hits, a pair of walks and one hit batsman while striking out two in 6 innings of work. Mat Taylor closed things out, giving up just one hit in the top of the seventh.
All told, the Eagles mustered just 3 hits against the Crusaders, but the Laurens pitching staff plunked five batters and walked another five to give Richard Winn plenty of men on the base paths. But the Eagles could not find the big hit when they needed it, leaving the bases loaded in the fourth, sixth and seventh innings. Taylor, Tucker and Cameron Cooper collected the only hits on the night for the Eagles.
The Crusaders did their damage on 8 hits, stranding three runners on the night.
