PREP BASEBALL: Eagles rally past Gators

By Justin Hayes
Published in Sports on April 28, 2017 9:57 AM

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Rally by committee.

Such was the case on Thursday for the Rosewood High varsity baseball team, whose interchangeable, plug-and-play nature was sternly tested before emerging victorious in a panic-attack inspired, 4-3 thriller versus Carolina 1-A brethren Spring Creek at "the Nest."

The atmosphere, which featured a partisan standing-room crowd, was lively from the outset.

Spring Creek (10-9 overall, 7-4 CC) jumped ahead in the top half of the opening inning, when junior Christian Yarbrough worked an advantage count and torch-lit a Kolby Harris offering over the fence in left field. The two-run blast, a never-in-doubt blimp that cleared the fence with room to spare, produced a chorus of wonderment from ticketholders and gave the Gators a quick 2-0 lead.

But the advantage wouldn't last very long.

Rosewood clawed back in its own half of the frame, when senior Derek Neal plated lead-off man Chance Howard with an RBI rope to the deepest portion of left center field.

And just like that, a classic was born.

Bolstered by another Yarbrough RBI in the third inning, SC starter Matthew Dupuy settled on the cliff and dealt efficient, seating-chart blues to Rosewood over the next two frames. His effort, which yielded two hits, no walks and no runs over that span, was lauded by skipper Heath Whitfield.

"Guys have a hard time squaring him up," the coach said of his starter. "That's as good as he's looked all year... the effort was great -- he deserved better."

Matters turned in the fifth, however, when the Eagles went to work at the plate after escaping their second two-on, two-out threat by the Gators in as many innings.

Rosewood, which lost a nail-biting decision to league foe North Duplin on Wednesday, began its rally when Howard pelted a double to the shadows of right-center field, crossing 9-holer Will Albert in the process and making the score 2-1.

The hosts continued their revitalized form in the sixth, when senior Stalen Massengill tied matters with an RBI triple to right field. The blast, his only hit of the affair, also signaled the end for Dupuy, who ceded control of the bump to Jordan Ammons in the seventh inning.

And what a dramatic turn it was.

Howard started the game's highlight-reel finish when his slow roller to the shortstop was bobbled, and took third seconds later when third baseman Jonathan Peacock executed a deft bunt down the first-base chalk.

Then it happened.

With the crowd buzzing and Kolby Harris in the batter's box, the hard-throwing Ammons tossed wide of catcher Kaden Geelen -- prompting an exuberant Howard to sprint home from third, stamp out the winning run and absorb some of the sting from the club's loss a day prior.

Rally complete.

Rosewood 4, Spring Creek 3.

Spring Creek was paced by Yarbrough, who continued his stellar form of late with a 2-for-2, three-RBI effort. Jensen Barwick also recorded a pair of base knocks for the Gators, who stranded nine base runners on the night.

The Eagles (16-3, 10-1) were paced by Howard's 3-for-4 effort, but also relied on timely contributions by Neal, Peacock, Massengill and Boone Moody, who picked up the victory in relief.

All things considered, a wild 48 hours for the Rosewood nine.

"We talked about it after the game yesterday," head coach Jason King said. "About getting another opportunity the next day. This team, as a unit, feels like they're going to pull it out."

And by committee, they did.