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| Govs sweep Bishop State double-header & series | 2007-03-17 |
| An 80’s disc jockey might describe the Wallace Govs offense this way: The hits just keep on coming. In their conference double header against the Bishop State Wildcats Saturday afternoon, the Govs pounded out 33 hits. 19 of those hits came in the first game and the other 14 in the game two. | |
 The result of all those hits was a double-header sweep for the Govs on Saturday, and a series sweep for the weekend. Wallace easily won the first game 13-3, and topped it off with a 6-1 win in the nightcap.And it wasn’t just the hitting. The Govs got two outstanding pitching performances. Mitchell Davidson and Cody Shields both tossed complete games. And there was one other factor that figured into the equation. That was good defense. The Govs didn’t make an error in either game. “When you play as well as we have played in our last several games, you’ll win a lot of ball games,� Wallace coach Mackey Sasser said. “Our guys aren’t kidding themselves. They know our last couple of opponents were not the best teams in our division. But we did what we needed to do. There are teams we should beat, and we did that. There have been times in the past when didn’t take care of business.� The Govs currently have the lead in the Southern Division with a conference record of 10-2, 16-11 overall. Wallace has won every one of its conference series so far. The first game of Saturday’s scheduled nine-inning contest once again ended early due to the 10-run rule. This one ended in the seventh when the Govs added the final two runs they needed. After Harman Watkins singled in one run, Brett Chamberlain ended it with his third hit of the game. This one was a solid single up the middle that scored Michael Precise. There was nothing dramatic about this game. Every single hitter in the Gov line-up got on base at least twice, Eight of the nine batters reached base three times. Winning pitcher Mitchell Davidson tossed a complete game, improving his record to 6-1 on the year. Davidson threw seven innings, gave up three runs, six hits, struck out six, walked two, and hit one batter. “When the guys are hitting the ball like this, it makes my job easier,� Davidson said. “Early in the game, I just tried to get ahead with my fastball. My out pitch today was my slider. Then once we got the big lead, I just worked on throwing different pitches and doing what I needed to do.� After playing second base all of the first game, Shields was simply phenomenal in game two. He had a no-hitter through the first five innings. He finally gave up two hits in the sixth, but the Wildcats still did not manage to score. That’s because Jon Eaves gunned down a runner attempting to score from third base on a fly ball. Eaves threw a perfect strike from center field to catcher Chamberlain to record the out. Ironically, the only run allowed by Shields came off the bat of a guy who played his high school baseball just a couple of miles away. Robert McClain hit an RBI double in the seventh inning for the Wildcats only run. McClain is a product of Dale County High School in Midland City. Shields ended his day with five hits (two in the game he pitched) and four RBIs. In his complete game pitching performance, he tossed seven innings, struck out five, walked one, and hit two batters. “I came to the ball park relaxed and ready to play today,� he said. “We’re playing loose and having fun right now, and that’s the reason we’ve had success.� Another person who has had a lot of success of late is Chamberlain. He now has a 12-game hitting streak. In the first game, he was 3-for-5 with six RBIs. Then in the second game, he went 3-for-3 with an RBI. “I am relaxing more now and I am seeing the ball well,� Chamberlain said of his success. “I look at it as doing my job. When I get up to plate with a runner in scoring position, my job is to get the run in.� The Govs step out of conference play Tuesday when they host Faulkner University at noon. Next weekend, they’ll travel to Wadley to take on Southern Union. GAME NOTES • A strong wind blowing in kept the Govs from hitting any home runs on Saturday. It also played havoc with just about any ball hit high in the air. Outfielders were able to play shallow, which kept a lot of base runners from being able to score on singles to the outfield. • One of the most bizarre plays ever happened in the fourth inning of the first game. Wallace had the bases loaded with only one out. Ryan Reece hit a fly ball to center field that the wind blew toward the infield. All three base runners thought the ball was caught so no one advanced on the play. But the umpires ruled the ball wasn’t caught. After much confusion, the Wildcats finally threw home to get the first out, and then threw down to third base for the second out and the double play. Wallace did not score in the inning. • A large crowd from Midland City was present at the game. They weren’t there necessarily to see the Govs, but to watch Robert McClain of Bishop who played his high school ball at nearby Dale County High School in Midland City. Too many batters had good days at the plate to list in the game story, so here they are their batting order. First, here is game one. • Jon Eaves was 1-for-3 with a double, an RBI and two walks. • Cody Shields was 3-for-5 with a double, two singles, and an RBI. • Michael Precise was 1-for-3 with a double, and RBI, and a walk • Ernesto Gonzales was 2-for-5. • Andrew Starr was 2-for-4 and was hit by a pitch. • Ryan Reece was 3-for 5. • Harman Watkins was 4-for-5 with an RBI. • Dennis Perez was 1-for-5. • Brett Chamberlain was 3-for-5 with five RBIs. Game two: • Jon Eaves was 1-for-3 with a walk • Cody Shields was 2-for-3 with an RBI. • Michael Precise was 1-for-4 with and RBI. • Ernesto Gonzales was 0-for-4. • Andrew Starr was 1-for-3 with a walk. • Ryan Reece was 3-for-4 with an RBI. • Harman Watkins was 1-for-3. • Dennis Perez was 3-for-3 with an RBI. • Brett Chamberlain was 3-for-3 with an RBI. Special thanks to Brett Birdsong for his assistance with game notes. Nathaniel Frazier is Sports Information Director for Wallace College baseball and covers the Governors for the Dothan Eagle. He can be reached at NFrazier@DothanEagle.com. | |
| © Wallace Community College |
