NEW MARKET – The Southmont baseball team was putting runners
on Tuesday against Sagamore Athletic Conference foe Frankfort, but they
couldn’t get the big hit they needed. Frankfort, on the other hand, chipped
away the victory 6-0 for their second SAC win.
“They capitalized on a couple of our little mistakes and we
were leaving guys on,” Mountie coach Jamie Welliever said.
The first inning was similar for each team with a runner
getting on from an error but a Mountie passed ball scored Hot Dog Diego Santos
while Frankfort pitcher Christian Lopez (WP) drew a fly ball to strand two of
South’s runners.
Southmont’s Koy Archer had a hard single to start the inning
with Brandon Rogers moving him over on a sac bunt. Perfect start to an inning.
A Frankfort error put Boone Welliever on, but a pick off at
second kept South out of scoring position. Risty Bullerdick’s single put two on
again but a fly ball sent the Mounties in scoreless after having three
baserunners.
Frankfort built off their first-inning momentum by stringing
together hits and capitalizing off of a few walks.
“We’ve been really close,” Hot Dog coach Andy Dudley said.
“We had a sloppy start to the season and couldn’t come up with the big hit we
needed. It’s the little things that wins ball games and we did those tonight.”
Two hits from the bottom of the lineup in Daniel Santos and
Dyllan Shelley scored another in the second. Each team had at least one base
runner in the first five innings but South fell off the map in the sixth while
Frankfort sealed the deal.
David Miller sent a bomb over right-center for a two-run
homerun in the fifth inning, while Frankfort’s one, two, three spots strung
together three hits and a fielder’s choice from Miller for two more runs in the
sixth.
The Mounties only had one hit after the first inning and
could not solve Lopez’s breaking ball. Lopez struck out nine Mounties.
“Their pitcher did a good job and he had us off balance,”
Welliever said. “We couldn’t come up with the big hit and capitalize and they
did.”
Archer, Bullerdick and Rogers had South’s three hits with
Bullerdick going 1-for-2 and a hit-by-pitch.
Cole Wemer got the loss giving up six hits, four runs (three
earned) and three walks while striking out six. Cole Roach came in relief and
gave up three hits, two earned runs and one walk with one strikeout.
Southmont (8-4, 4-3 SAC) will face off with Frankfort (4-9,
2-6 SAC) again Thursday at Frankfort.