Warren's two-out single ignites late Rosewood rally

By Rudy Coggins
Published in Sports on May 25, 2014 9:40 AM

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rcoggins@newsargus.com

HERTFORD -- Strike one.

"That's a good cut, Kahlil!" shouted Rosewood teammate Derek Neal from the dugout.

Strike two.

"You're on it Kahlil!" Neal shouted again.

The Eagles grew silent until Nate Gardner's third offering sailed past Warren at eye level.

The dugout came alive again.

Warren stepped out of the box, took a deep breath and dug back in. With a runner in scoring position, Gardner tried to fool Warren with an off-speed pitch.

But the belt-high curveball didn't break and Warren stroked it into center field. Ethan Chapin raced home from second base and the Eagles eventually shocked state-ranked Perquimans, 4-2, in eastern semifinal-round action of the N.C. High School Athletic Association Class 1-A baseball playoffs.

Rosewood (20-4 overall) faces perennial powerhouse Whiteville (22-5) in the best-of-three eastern regional championship series. Sites and game times have not been announced.

"I tell the guys all the time that this is a strange, difficult, frustrating game, but if you just stick with it, stay focused, keep your mind in the right spot, good things will happen for you eventually," RHS head coach Jason King said.

"(Kahlil) was a good example."

The Eagles overcame 13 strikeouts and three errors with some timely -- and critical -- defensive plays. Center fielder Bryce McKeel stretched out twice to rob the Pirates of potential RBI hits. Starting pitcher Jordan Gurley picked off three runners, including one at third base in the fourth inning.

But the most mind-boggling play occurred in the eighth.

With one out, Gardner connected on a one-out single and attempted to take third base on Tyler Winslow's infield base knock. The Eagles overthrew third, but Brent Breedlove recovered the ball and gunned Gardner down at the plate.

Thinking the inning had ended, a disgusted Winslow removed his helmet and started walking back toward the dugout. Rosewood's coaching staff shouted for Gurley to tag him for the third out.

"You don't see that very often," grinned King, whose team remained unbeaten in 10 road outings this season.

Rosewood grabbed a 1-0 lead when Corey Lynn scored on a fourth-inning infield error. Howell's seventh-inning, two-out double extended the Eagles' lead to 2-0.

"I promise you I thought I had popped it up, maybe a little blooper or something," Howell said. "I was rounding first, the next thing I noticed was the two (Perquimans) guys running toward the fence and they ran into each other.

"I see the ball drop."

Perquimans (24-4) answered in dramatic fashion.

Gurley, who started and worked 6 1/3 innings, pointed to Lynn after he denied Gardner a base hit on a magnificent catch in center field. But Gurley walked the next two batters and King summoned Howell to the mound.

Howell walked the bases loaded and induced a ground ball by Eric Copeland. The Eagles bobbled their double-play attempt, which pushed one run across.

A wild-pitch strikeout knotted the game at 2-all.

After the strange DP in the eighth, Chapin drew a lead-off walk to start the Eagles' ninth. Bryce McKeel moved Chapin over with a sacrifice bunt -- Rosewood's fifth of the game.

Warren delivered his clutch hit and scored on a passed ball to make it 4-2.

"Oh my gosh," Howell said of Warren. "Just awesome."

Howell struck out the side in the ninth and punched the Eagles' ticket to the eastern championship for the first time since 2010.

"We just kept our composure the whole time, even when the ball wasn't bouncing our way," Gurley said.