By Adam Julian
Contributing Writer
BLOOMINGTON — Bloomington South needed two
extra frames and some timely hitting to overcome a late 4-0 deficit April 20 to
defeat city and conference rival Bloomington North, 5-4.
The outcome, which
pushed the host Panthers to 4-4 (2-0 in Conference Indiana play) and dropped the Cougars to 3-6
(0-2), ended North�s three-game winning streak in the series.
With one
man on and nobody out in the bottom of the ninth inning, South�s Josh Tapp
roped a ball into the right-center field gap, driving in sophomore Ben Riggins
with the game-winning RBI. And the junior lefty also picked up his first victory
of the year with one inning of scoreless relief.
The
Cougars jumped out to 2-0 lead in an emotional fourth inning that exemplified
the passion in this rivalry. A lead-off walk to Matt Serfling and a single by Nick
Von Forester set up a first-and-second, nobody-out situation for South hurler
Matt Adams. Adams responded by getting Gant Elmore to ground into what appeared
to be a 4-6-3 double play, but Von Forester had different ideas.
Von
Forester took out Riggins, South�s shortstop, at second in breaking up the two-ball.
Riggins responded by making it difficult for Von Forester to get up off the
ground, and both players proceeded to let each other know how they felt before eventually
being separated by the umpires.
The takeout
at second was a turning point in the game. Adams
became unglued, surrendering a single to B.J. Cain, walking Trevor Shields, and
giving up an RBI double to North starter Dan Jackson. Adams
managed to work through a scoreless fifth, then gave up two more in the sixth.
After Elmore
was credited with a triple on a misplayed ball to right, Cain drove him in with
a single down the left-field line. Pinch-runner Keith Wilson advanced on a fly ball
by Trevor Shields and was eventually driven in by Dan Jackson.
Not only
was Jackson
instrumental in North�s offense, but he was primarily responsible for silencing
the Panther bats. The Cougar pitcher changed speeds, used all parts of the
plate, struck out three, and walked only one in scattering just three hits over
five scoreless innings.
But he was
touched for two runs in the sixth and another pair in the seventh.
After
getting Trent Rovenstine to ground out for the first out of the inning, Jackson hit Cody Coffey,
then gave up a single to Tanner Blackwell. First baseman Jordan Forney�s fly
ball out to left pushed both runners into scoring position before Jason Moseman
delivered a hit to left-center to make it 4-2.
In the top
of the seventh, hard-throwing junior Matt Utterbach stuck out the side to keep
the momentum with the Panthers.
Down two
in the bottom of the seventh with the bottom of the lineup due, South swelled
up. A Matt Rovenstine single and a Tapp double put two on for the No. 9 hitter,
Trent Rovenstine, who roped a ball into the left-center gap to tie the game.
Utterbach
breezed through another scoreless inning of relief in the eighth before
reaching his 10-inning limit on the week and turning the ball over to Tapp.
North had
one last opportunity in the top of the ninth when Jake Morrow led off with a
single, but he was thrown out attempting to steal second.
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