Midway profits from late-inning mistakes

By Allen Etzler
Published in Sports on March 25, 2014 1:48 PM

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Everything started smoothly for Rosewood senior pitcher Brent Breedlove on Monday evening.

He pitched four scoreless innings against 2013 state 1-A runner-up Midway High and did not experience even the slightest bit of trouble.

Then came the fifth inning. Breedlove kept his composure and recorded two outs after an infield error. He hit a batter and walked the next one. All of a sudden, the bases were loaded.

Another error allowed a run to score. The Raiders' Kyle Hawley followed with a three-RBI triple off the center-field wall and Midway eventually won, 7-0.

"(Breedlove) did a good job pitching to contact, and we were about a pitch away from getting out of it," Rosewood coach Jason King said. "An error here and there, a couple walks, they scatter a couple hits and now we're down 5-0."

Errors played a role in the Eagles' loss as well as offense. They mustered just four hits against Midway's Ryan Lee and Cameron Hobbs. Lee struck out eight batters and did not allow a hit after the second inning.

"He was tough, he was pounding the zone," Eagles' shortstop Reed Howell said. "He did a good job getting ahead throwing first-pitch strikes. We weren't swinging at them. We got to get our bat off our shoulder and we got to hit the ball."

Howell and left fielder Jordan Lynn were the only two Eagles to reach base more than once.

Despite the loss, King was pleased with what he saw. His team was one pitch, or one tricky hop from being locked in a 0-0 game after five innings against a team he thinks could return to the state finals.

"We scheduled these tough games because it's a measuring stick," King said of the Eagles' tough schedule. "I think we have the talent to beat these guys, we just have to stay tough. We have to finish."

The Eagles (3-3 overall) are 2-0 in Carolina 1-A Conference play. They can improve upon that record against North Duplin today, provided the rain holds off.

"We need to play with more confidence and we need to put everything together," Howell said. "We can't finish right now, but we're going to work on it."