The Sumrall Bobcats didn’t have many hits fall against Purvis ace Jesse Johnson on Tuesday night, but the ones they did connect on were signifiant and enough to propel them to a big win over their cross-county rival.
After getting shut out by Johnson for seven innings in one of their meetings last season, Larry Knight’s Bobcats had some early offensive success against him Tuesday, as Javan Williams belted a solo homer in the second inning to put Sumrall up 1-0.
“That was very big,” Knight said. “It showed we can put a spot on the board off him.”
The Bobcats added four more hits, two of which plated critical runs, en route to a 5-2 victory and a bit of revenge after getting swept by the Tornadoes last season.
For a photo gallery of the game, click here: http://sports601.com/index.php/gallery-page-sumrall-purvis-baseball/
“We don’t have to tell them extra stuff, but we knew what happened last year,” Knight said. “That was a tough week for us, and it kinda put us on a down spiral after that.
“Last year, we had two ballgames that were one-run games in extra innings. You get in that situation, your defense gets a little tight and you never know what’s gonna happen. We were fortunate to get a cushion tonight, and I think it made it a whole lot easier on our arms.”
With a two-run double from Zane Berry and a sacrifice-fly from Dannis Jackson, the Bobcats put up a three spot in the fourth inning, taking a 5-1 lead on Purvis shortly after the Tornadoes had cut it to one run, 2-1, off an RBI double from Johnson in the third.
“We knew tonight facing Jesse that the runs were gonna be limited and the hits are gonna be limited,” Knight said. “But when you can put them together and have a big inning like we had, that gives us some space and a little bit to work with.”
With a four-run lead in hand, Sumrall starting pitcher Halen Sanford faced a bases loaded situation in the bottom of the fourth. The Tornadoes managed to score a run off a wild pitch to make it 5-2, but Sanford got a groundout to escape the frame relatively unscathed.
After recording the first out of the fifth, Sanford was replaced on the mound by sidearmer John Cody Stogner. Again, the Tornadoes loaded the bases, but Stogner kept them at bay with a strikeout to end the inning. Stogner put together a 1-2-3 sixth and closed out the game in the seventh for the Bobcats, who improved to 15-3 overall and 4-1 in region play with the win.
“We’ve always had some underneath guys, but he’s one of the best I’ve had as far as throwing strikes and commanding it,” Knight said of Stogner. “Usually those guys go out there and hit a few guys and make a coach get grey-headed in a hurry.
“He’s been lights out lately.”
Purvis fell to 9-6-1 and 3-2 in region with the loss. Both teams will meet again Friday night at Sumrall’s Larry Knight Field for game two of the two-game series.
