Pioneers take series from Dragons with Saturday wins

March 6, 2021

by Dustin Semore, Sports Information Director

JACKSON, Tenn. - Playing the second day of a home-and-away matchup with Lane (Tenn.) College, the Crowley's Ridge Pioneers lit up the scoreboard by scoring a combined 27 runs in the twin bill. It took eight innings, but the Pioneers got the W in the opener 11-10 before a late-inning rally vaulted the 'Neers to a 16-9 victory in game two to win the weekend series three games to one.

GAME ONE (8 inn.)

Crowley's Ridge - 11

Lane - 10

The Pioneers (6-5) took advantage of Lane's starter not being able to find the zone, drawing five walks in the opening frame - two of which brought in a run. The men in green capped the three-run inning with Austin Gross hitting a sacrifice fly to bring home Bobby Wright.

Senior Nate Finney would lead off the second frame with a single before scoring after Gross was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded.

The Lane Dragons (1-3) found themselves trailing by four heading into the bottom of the seventh. Chris O'Neal started the rally by sending starter Zorey Chipman's offering over the centerfield fence for a two-run homer to cut the lead in half. An error and a walk from closer Bobby Wright set the Dragons up to score the tying run off of Melvin Crayton's two-run double.

Not shaken, Crowley's Ridge was boosted in the top of the eighth inning when sophomore Trey Gossett pounded a double to left field and scoring Chipper Lamb, on base thanks to one of the Dragons' five errors. Phoenix Beal's would later hit a sac fly to score Wright's insurance run.

That run proved necessary when Lane scored a run in the home half of the eighth, but Wright settled down to finish the game to earn his first win of the season.

As a team, Crowley's Ridge drew 16 walks. The guys in green were led by Gossett and Nate Finney, both having three base hits. Gossett, Gross, and Corbett Seib each drove in two runs.

In the no-decision start, Chipman struck out seven Dragon batters while only allowing one base on balls.

GAME TWO

Crowley's Ridge - 16

Lane - 9

Nate Finney continued to see the ball well by starting off game two with a leadoff single. The Pioneers (7-5) were able to continue to work deep counts, drawing three walks including one to bring Finney home. Kole Simms would later tag up to score the second run of the inning.

The Pioneers were cruising along until the Dragons (1-4) made the adjustment in the fourth inning by scoring six runs, mostly due to CRC pitching having difficulty finding the zone by throwing five walks in the inning. Zach Elias would put a bow on the inning by singling home two runs to take a 7-4 lead.

The lead did not last long, as Corbett Seib started the inning with a leadoff double later scoring on Noah Overshine's single. Finney recorded three hits in the nightcap, and none bigger than his first long ball of the season by blasting a fastball over the centerfield wall for a three-run jack to take the lead that the Pioneers never relinquished.

Knowing that all three previous games were close until the final out, the Pioneers wanted to put a few insurance runs on the board during their turn in the sixth. Instead, CRC scored a game-high five runs in the inning including an RBI single from Kole Simms.

The Pioneers exploded with 17 hits in game two, led by Finney, Overshine, and Austin Gross. Finney led the run production by driving in four RBIs. Seib and Simms chipped in with two hits each.

Andrew Brown earned the win in relief striking out five in 3.2 innings of work.

UP NEXT

The Pioneers will enjoy the wins before hosting Ecclesia (Ark.) College for a set of doubleheaders on Friday, March 12, and Saturday, March 13. Both doubleheaders are slated to begin at Pioneer Park at noon.