Newspapers / The Guilfordian (Greensboro, N.C.) / March 20, 1998, edition 1 / Page 16
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16 Quakers persist and win in 10, 19-18 ♦Brian Probst caps off Quaker comeback with a game-winning home run in extra innings BY DAN GATTI Sports Editor Because of the impressive perfor mance of many different Quaker he roes, the Guilford College baseball team was able to overcome incredible odds to beat High Point on Sunday, 19-18 in ten innings, a game in which Guilford was never in the lead until the very last hit. For most of the game, High Point was trouncing Guilford. High Point got off to a great start in the first inning off pitcher Tim Lucason. Lucason had trouble controlling the ball, walking the first two batters who were later doubled in. Two more hits scored two more runs, and Guilford was playing comeback already. Three of those four runs came in the bottom half of the first. Singles by shortstop Toshinori Sakamoto and third baseman Kevin Moore put two runners on for a crucial three-run home run by slugger and designated hitter Alan York, the first hero of the day. The come back was then completed in the third inning, when a bases loaded sacrifice fly by Chris Butcher brought in Moore. The tie lasted three innings, be fore High Point exploded for six runs in the top half of the sixth inning, and Box Score High Point 400 006 611 0 Guilford 301 006 017 1 Name AB R H RBI Rochelle, cf 5 110 Sakamoto, ss 6 2 4 3 Bowman, l£/c 5 2 11 Moore, 3b 5 5 4 3 York, dh 4 2 13 Reed, lb 5 13 3 Butcher, rf 4 13 2 Inman, 2b 2 0 0 0 Sinclair, ph 110 0 Rodriguez, c 0 0 0 0 Davis, ph 10 10 Wolfe, pr/lf 110 0 Scott, c 10 0 0 Chambers, ph 110 0 Kohut, 2b 0 0 0 0 i udington, ph 10 0 0 Probst, 2b 2 2 2 1 Pitching IP H R ER BB S Lucason 5 11 10 9 6 2 Pelletier 1.1 1 3 3 3 1 Millsap 1.2 5 4 1 2 0 Davis 2 3 1113 Guilford was once again behind. This time, it was the de fense that killed the Quakers. Near-con secutive errors by Moore and Sakamoto scored a run, and allowed for a string of hits that scored six runs, two on a triple by High Point shortstop David Ange. High Point now had a commanding lead, 10-4. The Quakers didn't wait long to strike back. In the bottom half of the sixth, they capitalized on a series of High Point mistakes, start ing with a walk to Butcher, a Sinclair hit batsman, and an in field error to load the bases. Sakamoto then made up for his error in the field with a one-out RBI. Then control problems hit William "Squirt" Rochelle has been a major part of Guilford's High Point pitcher success this year. Jason Brennan, as a wild pitch and a walk let in another run and loaded the bases for a crucial bases-clearing double by Moore. Moore was then singled in by first baseman Andy Reed for the tying run, and Guilford was back in the game. For one half-inning, anyway. High Point exploded again in the seventh against pitcher Eric Pelletier. A wild throw to first and a couple of walks loaded the bases, setting up a three run double by designated hitter Bran don Cathy off pitcher Chris Millsap. A double, a single and Sakamoto's fourth error of the game later. High Point had a six-run lead. That lead turned into a seven-run lead in the eighth, when High Point brought in another run with an infield single to short Guilford then matched that run in the eighth, when Kevin Moore got another hit, a double, and scored on a sacrifice fly by Reed. But High Point scored again in the ninth Sports n iPKpI fK-:- '■, ■■' '■■£ . ■'■ ': ' "*• -V '• > , *4k * -4k 1 -* PHOTO BY CHRIS CARLSTROM and seemed in control, up 18-11. That's when the real turnaround happened. Gray David singled to left. Brian Probst singled to right. Sakamoto col lected his fourth hit of the day by sin gling to right, bringing in two runs. An infield sacrifice, a walk and a hits bats man loaded the bases with one out, and then two more singles brought in three more runs, which (have you been counting?) put Guilford behind by only one run, with a runner on third and two The Guilfordian Non-profit organization 5800 W. Friendly Ave. US Postage PAID 17717 Founders Hall PermitNo 57 „ . J(n Greensboro,NC Greensboro, NC 27410 : out for Chris Butcher. Butcher came through with a big RBI single, and Guil ford had forced extra in nings. Alan York's three-run home run, Kevin Moore's four hits, five runs and three RBl's, and Sakamoto's four hits all were what allowed Guilford to repeatedly climb back from enormous defi cits. But the big hero of the day was to be unsung in fielder Bryan Probst. Probst had come into the game as a defensive re placement in the eighth in ning, after second baseman Matt Kohut was pinch hit for in the seventh, and had singled and scored in the seven-run ninth. His sec ond at-bat came to lead off the bottom of the tenth, off High Point pitcher Matt Griffen. "I was just looking to get on base," Probst said. "I was looking for a fastball and I got one, right where I wanted it." What he did was line that fastball out towards the tennis courts, a home run which landed, by some accounts, more then 50 feet beyond the wall in left, to win the game for Guilford by the final score of 19-18. "It felt great," said Probst. "It's probably the greatest feeling I've ever had while playing baseball." The win improved Guilford's record to 8-10 on the year. Another win on Wednesday against Hollins, 5- 4, made them 9-10, in good position to improve on last season's 18-21 medi ocrity. The Guilfordian March 20,1998
The Guilfordian (Greensboro, N.C.)
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March 20, 1998, edition 1
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