Walk-Off Home Run Sinks Patriots

Friday, April 2, 2010

Hoke County’s Jordan Cummings hit a walk-off home run leading off the bottom of the seventh inning to hand the Pinecrest baseball team a 4-3 loss on Thursday evening in Raeford.

The Patriots fall to 9-3 overall and 4-1 in the Southeastern Conference after the Bucks snapped their six-game winning streak. The Bucks improved to 6-5 and 2-3.

The Patriots got a 3-0 jump on Hoke ace Ronald Womack by scoring a run in the top of the third and two in the fourth. Evan Guy singled home the first run. Two Hoke errors on one play combined with a hit batter, a walk and a single by Dillon Maples contributed to the two in the fourth.

Patriot starter Zach Christian retired the home team in order in the first three frames before losing command of the strike zone in the fourth. An error by second baseman Bailey Rush, two walks and a double by Luis Renvill allowed the Bucks to tie the game at 3-3.

Joe Herbert relieved Christian in the middle of the Bucks’ three-run uprising. Joe Vecchione took over in the fifth and pitched out of a jam. The Pats had two aboard in the top of the seventh, but Womack retired Ryan Spiker with his 12th strikeout of the night.

The end came suddenly a few minutes later. Cummings timed a 3-2 fastball from Vecchione perfectly and lined it over the left field fence.

Patriot lead-off man James Baldwin III had two of the Patriots' six hits off of Womack and reached base in all four at-bats. He was stranded in scoring position three times. The visitors stranded nine baserunners in all. The Bucks had only two hits off Patriot pitching, but made both of them count.

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CC85 2 years, 1 month ago

That's baseball, a fluke home run against a superior team. Patriots will still win the Conference Champsionship and make a deep run into the State playoffs.

ASU88 2 years, 1 month ago

@cc85 Give the Bucs from Hoke some credit...just two hits and they win the game? I played baseball for many years and have never saw a "fluke" home run. On this day the Bucs were the superior team...at least on the score board and that's the whole purpose of playing the game to see who out scores the other team. It's not if you win or lose it's how you play the game? Maybe this is true in T-ball/Coach Pitch but not in 4A high school baseball. Shake hands at home plate and get ready for the next game!

CC85 2 years, 1 month ago

Anyone who's played baseball at any level, which I have (4A and College), knows that in the game of baseball it's not always the best team that wins. Yes, "fluke" home runs do occur...especially at the HS level where the typical distance from home plate to center-field is about 340 feet. A good pop-up will clear that distance with a little wind. Why do you think they have a 3 game series when you reach the Eastern Divison and State Finals? Why not just play 1 game for all the marbles? Because in baseball, a series is a more adequate way to determine a true Champion.

My post was in support of the Patriots and the way they peformed the ENTIRE game. Certainly, Hoke deserves credit for winning it at the end and they deserve a "hand shake at home plate". I always did the same.

ASU88 2 years, 1 month ago

The fence is 340 feet from home plate for both teams! Let me see...if a Pinecrest player had hit a homerun during this game I bet you would have said...Pinecrest players smashes the ball over the center field fence! Instead you stated that the Hoke player hit a "fluke" home run. I'm all for a three game series to determine a Champion. Who cares if it's not always the best team that wins as long as you win? I would rather be lucky than good anyday! I bet you were a pitcher...since you believe in "fluke" home runs? Good luck Pinecrest in the rest of your season..heads up for a two hit..fluke hitting team in your future!