Defensive miscues cost Charles Henderson in loss
Published 9:10 am Friday, February 24, 2012
Charles Henderson could not stop the bleeding quickly enough on Thursday as the Trojans fell to Enterprise 10-0 in six innings.
Head coach Derek Irons said he felt his team played well in areas but didn’t make enough plays to keep the Wildcats off the scoreboard.
“We had a sluggish start just like on Monday,” he said. “The difference is that we contained it on Monday, we couldn’t contain it today.”
The Trojans squeaked by G.W. Long earlier this week, 6-5, on a walk off triple with the bases loaded. Charles Henderson could deliver no such blow against the Wildcats.
Enterprise jumped out to an early 2-0 lead in the first inning on a RBI single by Tyler Stump and a fielder’s choice by Eric Averett.
The major trouble came during the four-run second inning. Charles Henderson would commit a couple of errors and starter Luke Hastings, who worked four innings on the mound, struggled with his command a bit walking one and tossing two wild pitches.
Hastings would settle down, however, and get a ground out and fly out to escape the frame and worked a 1-2-3 fourth inning The Trojans trailed at that point, 6-0.
“I have no complaints about the job Luke did today,” Irons said. “He did what we asked him to do. We have to make plays behind him.”
Charles Henderson would not produce a base runner in any inning with fewer than two outs.
Gregory Barnette singled in the second but was thrown out attempting to steal. Austin Adler and Michael Fox were able to string together a pair of hits with two away in the third but the Trojans couldn’t capitalize. Hastings would be wiped out on a fielder’s choice in the fifth after a single.
The Wildcats would not allow a walk or commit an error in the contest while surrendering just three hits.
Enterprise would deliver the deathblow in the fifth. After the lead off batter reached on an error and three consecutive singles, Patrick Stinson ripped a two-out double to induce the 10-run mercy rule.
“You’ve got to catch it, throw it and swing it a little bit to win and we did not do that today,” Irons said. “The great thing about baseball is we get to go play again tomorrow.”
Charles Henderson host Dothan High School in a doubleheader beginning at 5p.m. today.