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GTI2
pitcher Jake Peters fields a bunt Monday against Troy.
Peters recorded
the out at first but Troy recorded the 9-7 tournament win.
CNO Photo by George Starks
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Mistakes prove costly...
Slow
start costs GTI2 in tournament loss
By George Starks
GREENVILLE- “We waited four innings too late to get going,” said GTI2 coach Mat Netzley.
Through the first four innings against Troy, GTI had more errors, three, than hits, zero.
By the end of the fourth frame, Troy had built a 7-0 lead and was up 8-0 going into the bottom of the fifth.
Like General George Custer at the Battle of Little Bighorn, GTI would mount a charge in the end, only to fall short 9-7.
“We just didn’t get out of the gat at all,” said Netzley.
“We never got out first hit until the fourth inning (a single by Tyler
Netzley). Our pitching was pretty good there toward the end. Tyler came
in and pitched a heck of a game (in relief).to keep us close. We just
waited too long with the bats.”
Sophomore Jake Peters took the mound for GTI but it wasn’t a lack of pitching that bit GTI, it was defense.
Troy scored three runs in the second while never recording a hit as three errors led the disastrous second for GTI.
“We threw the ball around a lot in that inning,” said
Netzley “We had a pick off move at second and the ball ended up in
center and Troy scored a run. A throw to the catcher allowed a run.
They (Troy) had probably six runs tonight just off errors. If we hold
down the errors tonight, we win this ball game.”
On the night, GTI committed seven errors that led to six runs, three in the second and three of four in the fifth.
“If we play good defense in the second the way we are
capable of playing, we win this game by one run instead of losing by
two,” Netzley pointed out.
GTI got things in gear in the fifth, sending 11 hitters to the dish, scoring six runs total.
“I was glad to see us be able to battle back fro an 8-0
deficit,” Netzley said. “It says a lot of this team to know they can do
that. We started to hit the ball better and the pitching and defense
came together. We put the ball into play against them and they made a
few errors as well. But, it is what it is.”
In losing, GTI went to the loser’s bracket of the
tournament and will play the loser between Northmont and Versailles,
played last night.
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