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Northwest outscores A.L. Brown
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Published: April 14, 2009
It's been an up-and-down season so far for a young Northwest Cabarrus that also lost its best player to an injury.
Monday's opening-round game of the Intimidators Classic against rival A.L. Brown was a rollercoaster in itself.
The Trojans jumped out to a four-run lead, saw it all evaporate and then bounced back for five runs in the seventh inning to pull out a 9-5 victory.
Northwest regained the lead in the seventh without the ball leaving the infield and then got a two-run single by Jon Wallace for insurance.
The Trojans will face Piedmont in tonight's semifinals at 7 p.m.
"I was proud of the kids," Northwest head coach Joe Hubbard said. "I thought we hung in there at the end when we were down 5-4. We could've just went 1-2-3 and went back on the bus and went home, but they stayed and they battled. We've been battling all year long and a lot of times we're coming up on the short end of the stick. It was nice to come out on the top end this time."
Northwest used a small-ball approach to generate a pair of runs in the first and third innings and did the same to start the seventh.
After leadoff man Cullen Perry was hit by a pitch, Jordan Phillips and Travis Watkins each reached on bunt singles to load the bases.
"We're having to do a couple different things this year that we haven't done in a while," Hubbard said. "We're trying to put a lot of runners in motion and put the ball in play and things like that. It's been working for us pretty good."
Kannapolis' Dylan May then relieved for starter John Tuttle and struggled to find the plate, issuing back-to-back walks to put Northwest up 6-5.
Wallace then delivered a two-run single to right and another run scored on a passed ball on a third strike.
"They brought in one of their best kids and probably if they do it again (tonight) he's going to come in and be lights-out," Hubbard said. "It was just fortunate for us that we got a couple runners on and got a couple walks and scored a couple runs."
Kevin Hamilton pitched two innings of relief to notch the win and Walker Smith worked a perfect bottom of the seventh to close it out.
The Trojans took a 2-0 lead in the first on an infield single by Philips, a bloop single by Watkins and a two-run double by Taylor West.
In the third, a bunt single by Phillips and a single by Cory Seager set up West's RBI double and Wallace's sacrifice fly made it 4-0.
"It was a tale of really two games," Hubbard said. "We had a really good start and the Tuttle kid is a great pitcher. I'm glad we got to him early because he settled down through those middle innings and just shut us down."
The Wonders came back with three runs on four hits in the bottom of the third against West.
After base-hits by Quin Gill and Wes Honeycutt, an RBI single by Tuttle got Kannapolis on the board. Zach Wright followed with a two-run double to deep left-center to make it 4-3.
The Wonders tied it in the fifth on an infield single by May, a stolen base and an error.
Kannapolis then went ahead in the bottom of the sixth when Zach Jones led off with a double and Justin Kidd sliced an RBI single to left. A walk and a passed ball gave the Wonders a chance for more, but Hamilton got a strikeout and a lineout for a double play.
Northwest collected 11 hits, with Phillips totaling three and Watkins, Seager and West two each.
Kidd had two hits to lead Kannapolis.
The Trojans have been playing without junior standout Justin Seager, who is sidelined with a back injury and won't return until late in the season.
Still, Northwest has won the I's Classic three times outright – including last year – and shared it another time, and is looking to get one more.
"It'd be great," Hubbard said. "Hopefully we can come out and put a good game together (tonight). Then we'll worry about the championship game."
Kannapolis will face Jay M. Robinson at 1 p.m. today.
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