St. Joe ousts Cards


Thursday, April 24, 2008
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Photo by Ronnie Day

Relief work
Dustin Minor pitches for Potts Camp in game one Thursday.

St. Joe ousts Cards
• Young team gains playoff experience

By BARRY BURLESON
Editor

Potts Camp did not exit the Class 1A state baseball playoffs easily.

The Cardinals, fourth seed from their district, gave Greenville St. Joe, a numberHawks bring home district crown again one seed, all it could handle - particularly on Saturday.

Game two of the best-of-three series was tied at 6 going to the seventh. The Cardinals left the bases loaded in the top of the inning. In the bottom, Greenville St. Joe got some new life and a base runner, thanks to a Potts Camp error with two outs. Later a hit down the first-base line scored the winning run for the home team.

“It was a 7-6 loss but it was the best game we’ve played all year - from top to bottom - defense, base-running, hitting and pitching,” said Michael Loden, wrapping up his first season as coach of the Cardinals. “I told them after the game that we have nothiing to hang our heads about. They just made one more play than us.”

Potts Camp had leads of 2-0, 4-2 and 6-4 in the game.

Cody Watts pitched six innings. Billy Mitchell threw the seventh and got the loss.

“Our pitchers did their jobs,” Loden said. “Cody pitched as well as I could ask, and Billy pitched well, too.”

Watts carried the big stick at the plate. He was three for four with two doubles. Mitchell and Dustin Minor added two hits each.

The Cardinals had lost game one 8-2 Thursday at home.

“We played good,” Loden said, “but a couple of base-running errors hurt and we left the bases loaded twice. We sort of beat ourselves.”

Mitchell pitched four innings and got the loss. Minore threw three innings in relief.

Mitchell led the offense with three hits, including a double. Watts had a two hits, one of those a double, and Minore added a double.

A young Potts Camp team, sporting a roster dominated by seventh through ninth graders, got some valuable playoff experience.

Photo by Ronnie Day

Close play at first

Potts Camp first baseman David Russom (3) leaps and almost controls the ball with his bare hand as a St. Joe runner reaches the bag.

“This gives us something to build on,” Coach Loden said. “The players know what’s in store the next few years if we keep workng.”

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