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Concord American Legion beats Mooresville in 12
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Published: June 26, 2009
CONCORD — Down 6-1 to Mooresville, the Concord American Legion baseball team rallied for a 12-inning, 7-6 win Wednesday night.
Concord won when leadoff batter Anthony Allende's long fly ball to left was dropped and Kyle Kiker followed with a bunt that was thrown away, scoring Allende with the decisive run.
"He got it down," said Concord co-head coach Justin Ridenhour of Kiker's bunt. "We always say, runner on second, make the third baseman field it, and he did that."
The victory stopped Concord's two-game losing skid, including a tough 9-8 loss at South Rowan last Friday and a 5-2 setback at Wilkes County on Tuesday.
"We had probably overall our worst game of the year yesterday (at Wilkes)," Ridenhour said. "Against a team like Mooresville, who's one of the best in the league, to get behind early and still have the energy and the courage to fight back after yesterday and the beginning of this game says a lot.
"It's like Coach (Jaymie) Russ just said, it's a sign of a good team to do that. We kept battling and made adjustments from at-bat to at-bat, which is something we've struggled with all year. But we're finally starting to learn about that and do it, and it showed there late in the game."
Concord (6-8) has two regular-season games left, both on the road. Post 51 plays at Lexington tonight, then travels to Stanly County on Saturday night. Playoffs are scheduled to start July 3.
Concord nearly won in the 11th inning Wednesday, but a close play at the plate resulted in a third out.
Ridenhour protested the call and was ejected from the game. That makes him subject to suspension from tonight's game at Lexington.
"I didn't have the intention of getting tossed," Ridenhour said. "In a close game like that, you've got emotions going. We needed this game real bad. I thought he was safe. He called him out. I kind of let my emotions take over which I probably shouldn't have. It happens. Sometimes you've got to back your teammates up when you think they're right."
Concord tied the score 6-6 with a five-run, seventh-inning rally.
Kiker started the comeback with a double, Ryan Watlington hit an infield single and Anthony Holdridge bunted for a single. Kiker scored on a throwing error.
Michael Tancini then hit a run-scoring infield single before Thomas Emery's grounder was booted, scoring a third run.
After Garrett Furr hit into a force, a run scored on a wild pitch, then cleanup hitter Dalton Shuford tied the game with a double inside the leftfield line.
Concord scored in the third inning on an infield single by Holdridge and Emery's run-scoring double.
Concord had 12 hits. Emery and Shuford doubled twice each and Holdridge had three hits.
After the 11th-inning fireworks, Allende struck out the side in the 12th to get the win. Concord reliever Greg Helms ended the 10th inning with three consecutive strikeouts.
Allende came on in the 11th with runners at first and second and one out. He got a strikeout and fly ball to end the threat.
Garrett Furr pitched the first nine innings, allowing 10 hits, with all but one of those hits coming in just three innings.
Mooresville (5-5) scored four runs in the third inning and two in the seventh.
Mooresville scored two runs in the bottom of the ninth inning Tuesday to edge Kannapolis 4-3.
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