Pirates' sizzling bats, Jones' strong pitching combine forces to spank Spartans
The bats were sizzling for Cyprus for a second straight game in its 14-4 win over Murray at Magna Park on Tuesday afternoon, with the first five players in the Pirates' batting order all scoring runs in the first inning.
Murray's ability to answer was limited by an equally impressive performance from Taylor Jones. Going six innings, Jones struck out eight batters while yielding six hits. He also had four hits of his own on five trips to the plate.
Jones put Murray in an early hole by fanning four out of the six Spartan batters he dueled with in the first two innings. He closed the door on Murray in the sixth inning by striking out all three batters who stepped up to face him.
"Last time I didn't come out and get ahead early," Jones said. "From the first inning on, I wanted to come out and throw strikes and get ahead and stay ahead in the count."
The only time the Spartans seemed to have an answer for Jones was during the third and fourth innings when they racked up five hits and pared down the Pirates' lead.
Murray drew to within 6-4 in the top of the 4th when Joe Olson belted a triple to the far corner of right field and scored on a sacrifice fly by Jud Sacco on the next at-bat.
Chris Peel stole second base on one wild pitch and stole home on another for the Pirates' first run of the 4th. Broc Moltz capped off the inning in the exact same manner to push the lead to 11-4.
It grew to a ridiculous point in the fifth when Cody Butler got on base after being hit by a pitch from Chase Rezac, stole second and then third, before finally reaching home on a throwing error by Preston Hill to make it 12-4.
Cyprus coach Bob Fratto has seen his team follow a similar self-destructive blueprint at times and felt relieved that it wasn't the Pirates enduring such an episode this time around.
"That could bring any team down," Fratto said. "We have a ton of respect for them. They're a good team and we might see them again (in the playoffs)."
With the victory, Cyprus knocked Murray out of a first-place tie with Cottonwood and now is only a game behind the second-place Spartans in the Region 6 standings.
E-mail: jcoon@desnews.com
Recent comments
I am so sick of listening to all you guys~ Cottonwood does not have...
Granger | May 2, 2008 at 8:01 a.m.
it doesnt matter who you lost to in the season when the tournament...
annonymous | May 1, 2008 at 12:03 p.m.
If I remember right Cottonwood lost to Cyrpus
? | May 1, 2008 at 10:53 a.m.
