Swain stymies Patriots in sweep; six Raiders named All-Region

Chris Whitaker

May 10, 2008 10:50 pm

— AMERICUS — For some reason, Michael Swain likes to make Southland Academy baseball fans worry for one inning.
Swain, who has began slow in several of his starts this season, gave up a leadoff triple to start Saturday’s Game 2 against Pinewood Christian before settling in to strike out a career-high 15 batters as the Raiders advanced to the second round of the GISA playoffs with a 3-2 win against the Patriots in eight innings.
Southland will play travel to North Cobb for the quarterfinals on Friday and Saturday. The Eagles beat First Presbyterian in Friday’s Game 1, 13-3, lost Game 2 by a 9-8 score and won Game 3, 6-4.
Swain scattered six hits and walked three in improving to 7-1. This came after Will Webb tossed a one-hitter while striking out six in a 10-0 win on Friday.
“In the first inning I didn’t have my command and I was getting a little frustrated with the release point on my curve ball,” said Swain. “It took me the first inning or two and I found my release point and settled in then.”
Lane Miller tripled to right field to open the game after Mason Greene made a diving attempt to catch the hit. A Daniel Womack sacrifice fly scored Miller, but Swain got out of a bases-loaded jam by striking out the last batter looking.
Southland (14-7) played from behind for most of the game. The Raiders, who were the away team, tied the game in the fourth. Swain and Fuller Timmerman led off the frame with back-to-back doubles, and courtesy runner Collin Holloway scored from third on a passed ball.
Pinewood (8-10) went back ahead 2-1 in the sixth with three-consecutive hits. Trent Sikes, who was 2-for-4 on the day, singled to center field. Gordon Warnell doubled and Jordan Nobles followed with a RBI-single.
Webb made a diving stop on Nobles’ hit, but lost it during the transition to throw home. The Raiders got out of the inning when Cartwright made a good jump on a hit from Miller to make the third out in right field.
“I left the ball on the inside of the plate when I was supposed to throw it out,” said Swain. “He hit it and did what he was supposed to do. That was my pitching mistake. I didn’t hit my spots two batters in a row. One I had a 3-1 count and I had to throw a strike and he was sitting on it. The next one I just left the first pitch down the middle.”
The Raiders tied it again in the seventh behind some unusual plays. After Ty Cartwright was hit by pitch to start the inning, Chandler Holloway grounded to the shortstop in what first appeared to be a double play. But the ball went through his legs and the Raiders had runners on second and third.
Brandon Ray acted like he was going to bunt, but took the bat back and the Patriots picked off Cartwright at third for the second out. But Ray singled to center field and Holloway scored from second. Miller didn’t field the hit cleanly, or there could have been a play at the plate.
The Patriots’ Stephen Arnold pitched the first seven innings allowing two runs on five hits before giving way to Jake Rogers, who allowed a double and walked three to start Friday’s sixth inning.
Rogers walked Swain and hit Timmerman, and then with runners on second and third, Holloway scored the winning run on another passed ball.
“When it comes down to it, we didn’t make the big one to get out of the innings,” said Pinewood coach Zach Rackett. “We battled, and that was our ultimate goal today.
“We walked 12 yesterday, and at times of the season when it went bad, it got really bad in a hurry. We talked about that (Friday) night at the hotel. Whether it be the last day we play baseball or not, they were going to have to throw us out of here because we were going to give the effort, and I felt like we got that.”
Raiders coach David Cochran said he’s glad to have a one-two punch in Swain and Webb.
“Mike Swain was something else,” he said. “He and I are so much alike being intense and competitive. Boy, did he compete today. He kept battling and got in a good drove in the middle of the game. He could’ve folded, but he’s not like that. He’s a battler and a champion.
“And Will, he’s a young man who continues to amaze everyone with his tremendous poise, leadership and pitching ability.”
Along with Swain and Timmerman, Adam Fussell had a double.
Swain said he’s glad his team was on the end of another comeback. He expects more of the same in the second round, but he’s hoping there won’t be a need for a rally.
“We probably play better when we play harder teams, like Deerfield,” he said. “Sometimes we play down to our competition, and that’s not a good habit to have. We’ll be ready to play, and if they take us lightly, they’ll be going home.”

Friday’s game
Helping his cause on the mound, Webb had three RBIs as Southland won Game 1, 10-0, on Friday.
Cody Bivins was 3-for-3 with three RBIs, and Fussell and Cartwright each had two hits. Cartwright added a RBI-double.
The Raiders broke open a 4-0 lead in the sixth behind one hit, six walks and a hit batter as they scored six runs to end the game.
Webb’s no-hitter was broken up in the sixth inning when Jake Blocker hit a single in between third base and shortstop. He only had four balls leave the infield and three runners reach base.
Webb’s three RBIs came on a hit by pitch, sacrifice fly and a walk.
Bivins was inches away from an extra-base hit in the fifth when he hit a ball off the left field fence, just foul. He came back and hit a single to shallow left center to score Fuller Timmerman.
Kyle Rager took the loss for Pinewood; it used four pitchers in the game, including three in the final inning.

Six Raiders make All-Region
Michael Swain, Will Webb, Jake Griffith, Adam Fussell, Ty Cartrwright and Jess Alexander were named to the 3-AAA All-Region team this week.
Swain, Webb and Griffith are two-time honorees.
“It’s a tremendous honor for us to have six selected,” said Cochran. “They’ve all had good years have certainly contributed in different ways to our team.”
Swain is 7-1 pitching wise and is batting nearly .386, Webb has turned into the team’s No. 2 pitcher and Griffith batted leadoff and played center field before coming down with mononucleosis.
Adam Fussell has batted nearly .450 all season and leads the Raiders in home runs and RBIs.
Cartwright plays right field and Alexander pitches, plays first base and is sometimes the designated hitter.

GISA AAA First Round
SOUTHLAND 3, PINEWOOD 2 F/8
Southland (15-7) 000 100 11 — 3 6 1
Pinewood (8-10) 100 001 00 — 2 6 1
W-Swain (7-1), L-Arnold. 2B-Fussell (S), Swain (S), Timmerman (S), Warnell (P). 3B-Miller (P). Multiple hits: Sikes (P) 2.
Friday’s games
SOUTHLAND 10, PINEWOOD 0 F/6
Pinewood (8-9) 000 000 — 0 1 1
Southland (14-7) 020 116 —10 9 0
W-Webb (3-2), L-Rager. 2B-Cartwright (S). Multiple hits: Fussell (S) 2, Cartwright (S) 2, Bivins (S) 3.

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