| Tuscola topples Roberson
Times-News Staff Writer May 4, 2002 ASHEVILLE � Three base hits have rarely won a ballgame in the Mountain Athletic Conference. Friday, that sum crowned its 2002 champion.Tuscola didn�t bother with any pesky singles, doubles or triples in a 8-5 victory over homestanding T.C. Roberson on a rain-drenched day in Skyland. Instead, the Mountaineers chocked up all their offense via three long home runs off the bats of Steven Reinhold, Blake Murphy and Nathan Lowe.Tuscola (16-1, 11-0 in the MAC), which dropped its only game of the year to Hendersonville, needs just one victory over the course of its next three MAC contests to wrap up the conference�s No.1 state playoff seed.�We expected to win today � we got on the bus with no other thought on our minds,� said Mountaineer coach Billy Shepherd. �This was just a great game between two good teams and fortunately we made some key hits and plays in the field. We�ve hit the ball hard like that all season except for the last two games. It was a good time to get back in that rhythm.�Area home run leader and UNC-Wilmington signee Kenny Smith broke a month-long power slump in the bottom of the seventh with his 10th dinger of the season for Roberson (18-2, 12-2 in the MAC), a three-run job to right center that traveled well over 370 feet. Earlier in the fourth, teammate Ryan Radford lined his seventh homer over the fence in left for the Rams� first two runs.But those were the only major miscues on the day from Mountaineer starter Eryk McConnell, who fanned five Ram hitters, put two on board with walks and surrendered four earned runs on eight hits.Previously unbeaten Kory Radford (8-1) took the loss for Roberson after going five innings, allowing six earned runs and all three Tuscola hits. Kory Radford also sat down eight Mountaineers with strikeouts and walked three. In two innings of relief, Young Harris-bound senior Ryan Stewart collected four Ks.From the plate, Chris Price was 2-for-4 with a double and a run scored for Roberson, and Ryan Radford was 2-for-3 with two RBIs.Lowe�s two-run homer to center field in the second was part of a three-run inning for the Mountaineers, who followed with four more in the fourth thanks to Reinhold�s grand slam. Roberson coach Tom Smith, who�s denied rumors that he�ll retire at the end of the season after 25 years at the school, can appreciate a possible omen that resulted from Friday�s setback. The coach and his squad both know a MAC title and two regular-season wins over Franklin in 2001 did little to ease the pain that resulted from a second-round loss and the Panthers charging to the 3-A state title.And the Mountaineers are full aware of recent history as well.Following the game, several members of the Haywood County team could already be heard discussing a postseason encounter with the Rams.�Except for the weather, it was just a tremendous high school baseball game,� said Tom Smith. �You figure when you hold a team to three runs that you�ll be OK. But we know how things turned out last year in the playoffs, so I don�t think this team is too discouraged after today. They�re just a great group to be around and I couldn�t be any more proud no matter what the outcome was today.�Roberson�s next game is Tuesday at Erwin. |
