By Mark Carpenter
People’s Defender
An early season small school showdown in the Southern Hills Athletic Conference entertained the fans at Peebles High School on Thursday, April 9 as the host Indians welcomed the Manchester Greyhounds to town. With the current early logjam in the small school baseball standings, every conference game has extra meaning and the importance and rivalry were on full display on Thursday as the two teams battled to the wire, with the Greyhounds rallying from an early 5-2 deficit to score twice in the top of the seventh and then hang on for a huge 6-5 victory.
The pitching match up for Thursday’s battle saw the visiting Hounds give the nod to senior Traevyn Hilderbrand while the Indians handed the ball to freshman southpaw Braylen Stephens. Manchester struck first, getting a single run off of Stephens in the top half of the second when Carson Inman singled and came around to score on a two-bagger to left off the bat of Kenton Butt. That lead evaporated quickly as the Indians scored four times after the first two hitters of the inning struck out. Single, single, a three-run double from Bo Johnson, walk, single and the home team had a 4-1 advantage.
Both teams picked up a single run in their third inning at-bats. For the Hounds, Hilderbrand drew a one-out walk and eventually came in to score on a Stephens wild pitch. Peebles also got their runon a wild pictch and led 5-2 after three innings of play.
After a scoreless fourth on both sides, the Greyhounds drew closer in the top of the fifth with two runs Hilderbrand led off the frame with a base hit and one out later came home on a base hit by Clayton Colvin. Colvin stole second and came across to score on a bunt single off the bat of Parker Hayslip, cutting the Peebles lead to 5-4.
The Indians got two base runners in the bottom of the fifth but left them both stranded and then did the same in the bottom of the sixth, setting the stage for the Manchester at-bat in the top of the seventh. Luke Applegate led off the top of the seventh with a base hit to left and he later scored the tying run on a bunt single by Colvin. Colvin went to second on an error and then was sacrificed to third by Hayslip. The go-ahead run came when Colvin raced home on a wild pitch by Peebles reliever Lukas Schmus.
With the lefty Colvin on in relief in the bottom of the seventh, the Tribe got a one-out base runner on a Manchester error, but he was picked off first base for the second out and a strike out looking was the final out recorded in an exciting 6-5 Greyhound victory.
The win went to Colvin in relief as the Hounds improved to 2-2 overall, 2-1 in conference play. Also in relief, Peebles’ Schmus took the loss as the Indians fell to 5-3 overall, 3-1 in the SHAC.
Both teams faced conference action this week with the Greyhounds starting the week with a tough one, hosting powerful Lynchburg on Monday. On Thursday, the Hounds travel to Fairfield and on Friday to Eastern Brown. Peebles hosted West Union on Tuesday, whiteoak on Thursday, then will make the trip to Ripley on Friday.
Box Score
Manchester
011 020 2 —6
Peebles
041 000 0 —5
Manchester Hitting (AB-R-H-RBI): Hilderbrand 3-2-2-0, Applegate 3-1-1-0, C. Colvin 3-2-2-2, hayslip 3-0-1-1, Inman 4-1-1-0, Rickett 4-0-1-0, Butt 4-0-1-1, Hackathorn 3-0-0-0, Doyle 3-0-1-0, Team 30-6-10-4.
Extra-Base Hits: Butt 2B
Peebles Hitting (AB-R-H-RBI): Grooms 4-0-1-0, Gross 2-0-0-0, B. Johnson 4-1-1-3, C. Johnson 2-1-0-0, Schmus 3-1-1-0, Schutte 2-1-1-0, Smith 3-0-0-0, Stephens 3-1-1-0, Wilson 4-0-1-1, Team 27-5-6-4.
Extra-Base Hits: B. Johnson 2B, Stephens 2B
Manchester Pitching:
Hilderbrand 5 IP, 6 H, 5 R, 5 ER, 4 BB, 8 K, 103 pitches
C. Colvin (W) 2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 2 BB, 1 K, 36 pitches
Peebles Pitching:
Stephens 6 IP, 7 H, 4 R, 4 ER, 2 BB, 8 K
Schmus (L) 1 IP, 2 H, 2 R, 0 ER, 2 K
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