Pine Forest (FL) Survives Scare From CEC (KY)
April 4, 2019
PENSACOLA, FL - Pine Forest (FL) played host to CEC (KY) in their final pool play game of the 2019 Adidas Beach Blast. The Eagles held off the Cougars of CEC 5-2, but not before some late inning drama.
CEC almost struck in the first inning when Hayden Williams and starting pitcher David Savastiodelivered singles. However, that was all the Cougars could manage as Pine Forest’s Jared Ridell was able to get a strikeout to end the inning.
Pine Forest did strike in the third inning for one run. John Pinette led the inning off with a single through the left side. Pinette then advanced to second on an errant throw and eventually took third base. This setup Timmy Williams, who delivered. Williams sent a hard hit line drive into right field, forcing the outfielder to make a diving catch. This gave Pinette enough time to tag and score, giving the Eagles a 1-0 lead.
The deadlock is broken, @Pfeagles1 SS/RHP Timmy Williams (2020) with a hard hit sacrifice fly to RF, scoring the runner from 3rd. Stocky frame packs strength, translates to swing, hard line drive contact. 1-0 T4 @PBRFlorida pic.twitter.com/B5A1ZWwRKw
— Phil Kerber (@PhilKerberPBR) April 4, 2019
The lead grew to 3-0 in the fifth inning when Chrisitan Munoz sent a fly ball into deep right field, allowing Jason Roberts to tag up at third and score. Roberts led the inning off with single up the middle and was followed Nolan Rigby drawing a walk. Roberts and Rigby executed the double steal to perfection during Munoz’s at-bat. Pinch hitter Hunter Smith came off the bench and immediately came through with a run scoring single.
After five scoreless innings, Riddell entered the sixth inning looking to keep the shutout going. CEC was not going to go down without a fight though. Sawyor Dibble started the inning off with a single to left field, Savastio followed up with a single up the middle and all of a sudden it was two men and no outs. Riddell was able to get a fly out on the next at-bat before Steven Walter stepped up to the plate. Walter’s single put the Cougars on the board for the first time. Noah Boehnlein followed suit with a run scoring single to make it 3-2. With men on second and third, reliever Timmy Williams got back-to-back fly outs to stop the bleeding.
The Eagles were able to match CEC’s two runs in the bottom half of the sixth. Chase Gullatt led the inning off with his second hit of the game, a soft hit single, turning over the lineup. Pinette then squared one back up the middle. Both runners eventually advanced a base to have runners on second and third with no outs. Williams smoked a ball down the first base line, but a nice play by Boehnlein robbed him of a hit. It was enough to allow Gullatt to score. The lead grew to 5-2 when Troy commit Tekoah Roby drove a ball to deep center field, allowing Pinette to tag and score.
.@Pfeagles1 2020 OF Tekoah Roby (@TroyTrojansBSB recruit) drives in a run with a sacrifice fly to deep center field. Projectable frame, athletic frame, present bat speed, couple hard hit balls hit right at someone tonight. 5-2 Pine Forest leads CEC @PBRFlorida @PBRKentucky pic.twitter.com/Jb21jsZqqT
— Phil Kerber (@PhilKerberPBR) April 4, 2019
Williams battened down the hatches in the seventh inning, sending down the top of the CEC lineup in order.
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