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| Wallace sweeps LBW | 2007-02-24 |
| ANDALUSIA—The Wallace Govs did exactly what they needed to do against the LBW Saints here Saturday afternoon. After dropping their opening conference game on Thursday, Wallace bounced back to sweep the Saints here Saturday afternoon. | |
 And the two games were polar opposites. The first game was full of offense and the Govs held on for a 13-8 victory. The second game was dominated by pitching. Ernesto Gonzales out dueled Daniel Holder and Wallace won 2-0.But as good as Gonzales and Holder were, Michael Precise might have been even better on offense. The Govs right field hit two home runs on the day. A homer by Precise in the second game provided the only scoring in the game. After Rehobeth graduate Holder walked Andrew Starr, Precise hit a two-run homer over the right field fence. That was the only mistake Holder made in his complete game loss. Gonzales also pitched a complete game to earn the win. Precise has been a tough out so far this season. But he’s not taking a whole lot of the credit. “I’ve been working extremely hard this year,� he said. “But its not all my doing. Coach (Mackey) Sasser has got me busting my but. It’s not just me though. It’s the entire team. We started off slow, but I think we’re headed in the right direction now.� It is never easy to get a win when the Govs take on the Saints. Game one looked as though it was going to be another one of those contests that came down to the last at-bat. In that opening, the Govs got two big leads only to see the Saints battle back twice. But in the end, the Govs were able to hold on.. Wallace jumped out to a 6-0 lead in the first two innings. But after starting pitcher Mitchell Davidson gave free passes to first three batters he faced in the bottom of the second inning, the Saints cut the lead in half, 6-3. But reliever John Travis came on to save the day for the Govs. He pitched 5 2/3 innings to get the win. “I came in with the bases loaded,� Travis said. “But I was able to rely on my defense. My curve ball was working well, I kept them off balance with my change-up, and I was able to spot my fastball.� The big blow of the game came off the bat of Precise. With the bases loaded in the sixth inning, Precise connected for a grand slam over the fence in the deepest part of the ball park. The most serious threat the Saints were able to mount after that came in the eighth inning. After scoring a run and cutting the lead to 12-8, the Saints loaded the bases. Seth Basinger hit a hard line drive that appeared headed to the right field corner, possibly clearing the bases. But first baseman Andrew Starr jumped high into the air and took a hit away, then alertly ran to first base to get the double play. Chris Carroll pitched the final two innings of the game to earn the save. “We played well all weekend,� Sasser said. “We hit 13 batters, but in the end we got good pitching and played good defense.� “Wallace could have folded after losing that first game on Thursday,� LBW coach Steve Helms said. “But they came in here ready to play. We had a few chances, but things just didn’t go our way. That Precise kid is one of the best hitters I’ve seen in the past four or five years.� Wallace is now 7-8 on the year and 2-1 in the conference. LBW is 8-7 on the season and 1-2 in the conference. The Govs will be at home three times next week. The Govs will host Okaloosa-Walton Wednesday afternoon at 1 p.m. and will host CVCC Friday and Saturday in conference play. GAME NOTES • Harmon Watkins hit a solo home run for the Govs in the top of the ninth inning of the first game. He was 3-for-5 in the game. • Second baseman Cody Shields returned to the lineup for the first time this season in this series. Although he didn’t get a hit Saturday, he was on base four times. He was hit by a pitch twice and walked twice. • First baseman Andrew Starr my be in a hitting slump, bur he is playing stellar defense. He in the first game, he took a potential double away from LBW by going high in the air to snag the ball and turn it into a double play. He also made a diving stop in the second game to help preserve the shutout. • Rehobeth native Nathaniel Frazier is the Sports Information Director for Wallace baseball. He covers Wallace baseball for the Dothan Eagle and can be reached at NFrazier@DothanEagle.com . | |
| © Wallace Community College |
