SEMO Pirates start with a bang but drop pool-play opener in 12-team event

A big offensive night appeared to be in the works for the SEMO Pirates when Logan Carter launched a one-out solo home run in the first inning against the Midwest Phillies on Thursday at Capaha Field.

However, the Pirates, the Leopold Senior Babe Ruth baseball team, were held hitless the remainder of the way by two Phillies pitchers and ultimately lost 3-1 in their first game in Pool B play at the Pastime Midwest Select Tournament.

The Pirates wasted no time in yielding their head of steam. An errant throw to first in the bottom of the inning allowed the tying run to score and the lack of offense set in.

"We're struggling in the field right now," Pirates coach Jeremy McCain said about his team's sloppy play on defense. "Our focus isn't real good right now and that's something we'll really have to look at and fix going forward."

The Pirates were in good position to escape a first-and-third jam with two outs.

Garrett Taylor stepped in and hit a routine ground ball to third baseman Landon Johnson, who fielded the ball cleanly but made a low throw to first baseman Brad Freed, who was unable to make the scoop.

Johnson was charged with the error which allowed Joey Hope to score from third base to tie the game. Hope had walked to lead off the inning and advanced to third on a single.

"In that spot when he can't pick the ball up and make a good throw for us, that was huge," McCain said. "We can't give up a run there. I would have liked to have kept the lead there for four or five innings instead of a tie game."

The Pirates made several low and off-line throws to first base on the night, and McCain said his team was fortunate not to end up with more than two errors.

At one point, McCain yelled at his team from the dugout to stop being timid on throws to first.

"Again, just completely out of focus," McCain said.

Thomas Higgins picked up the win for the Phillies after giving up the home run to Carter in the first.

Higgins said it took him a few innings to adjust to the mound which was slick from rain, but once he got comfortable he used fastballs to get quick easy outs.

"At the beginning I was kind of thinking about it too much," Higgins said about adjusting to the mound. "After I got past the home run, the mound and walking a couple guys, I just forgot about it completely and kept going."

Higgins lasted five innings and struck out six.

Phillies coach Charlie Hope said he was impressed with Higgins and would have liked to have stayed with the right-hander, but he wanted to rest him for games later in the 12-team tournament that features two six-team pools.

"He settled in and found his groove," Charlie Hope said about Higgins. "I wish I could have kept him in but I had to keep his pitch count at 60 so I can use him for the four or five games we have left because he is that valuable to us."

Joey Hope came in to relieve Higgins in the sixth and kept the one-hitter intact. The right-hander did not allow a hit over the final two innings and struck out one.

The Phillies scored their other two runs in the fourth and sixth innings.

In the fourth, Joey Hope tripled to lead off the inning and scored on a single by Taylor.

Taylor walked to lead off the sixth inning and later scored on a throwing error for a 3-1 lead.

The Pirates had a chance to score in the seventh inning when Dustin Houart reached second on two consecutive errors. Hope then threw a wild pitch which put Houart on third, but the Pirates' offense could not muster another hit to bring Houart in

"We're [a good] hitting team," McCain said. "We didn't prove that today, but we'll be ready to go tomorrow."

Pirates 100 000 0 -- 1 1 2

Phillies 100 101 x -- 3 3 1

WP -- Thomas Higgins. LP -- Dustin Houart. HR -- Logan Carter (L). 3B -- Joey Hope (M).