Angelina Sweeps Navarro

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3/23/2011 - Roadrunners Pick Up Road Sweep of Navarro

CORSICANA – It took a pair of knuckle-biting, nail-chewing finishes, but the Angelina College Roadrunners picked up a rare road sweep of Navarro’s Bulldogs Wednesday afternoon in Corsicana.

AC’s K.J. Semien came up big in both games, throwing out the Bulldogs’ potential tying run late in the ‘Runners 1-0 win in the opener and driving in the tying run with a triple in the eighth inning of AC’s 10-9 win in the nightcap.

“I’ve said all season, this team has a chance to be something special,” AC head coach Jeff Livin said afterward. “We don’t get down when things aren’t going our way, and we have guys who just keep finding ways to contribute in both big and little ways.”

The two wins made it six straight one-run game for the Roadrunners, who moved to 4-2 in conference play.

AC starting pitcher Ryan Bonnot pitched a beauty in the first game, tossing 5 2/3 innings of shutout ball against a highly ranked Navarro lineup. Bonnot struck out six and walked just two, retiring the Bulldogs in order in three of his innings. Austin Robson came on in the sixth inning with Bulldogs in scoring position, getting the big play from Semien to preserve AC’s 1-0 lead. Bulldog pinch runner Colby Cottongame attempted to score from second when a ball off the bat of Casey Grayson made it through the Roadrunner infield. Semien, in left field, fired a perfect strike to ‘Runner catcher Tommy Henk at home, hanging Cottongame out to dry on the play. Ian Gardek then shut down the Bulldogs in the seventh to earn the save.

The nightcap saw lots more cleats denting the plate for both teams. AC got a sacrifice fly from Grant Clyde and a two-run single from Todd Wallace to put up a three-run first; and Jay Young and Keith Cormier sparked a third-inning surge with Young’s double and Cormier’s single. Ryan Gunhouse drove in a run with a double and Clyde added another sacrifice fly to lift AC’s run total to six runs in the first three innings.

Starting pitcher Luis DeJesus labored through a four-run second inning, with the Bulldogs getting a two-run homer from Brode Boyd to capitalize on three singles. But DeJesus settled in to hold Navarro to one more run through the sixth, when reliever Taylor Holt gave up a triple to Boyd – who came around to score on an infield error – and a solo homer to Christian Stringer. Navarro held a 7-6 lead heading into the AC half of the eighth.

But as Livin pointed out, the Roadrunners were in no frame of mind to lose. Clyde led off with a walk, and one out later Semien blasted a three bagger off the base of the left-field wall to tie the score. Pinch hitter Zach Taylor scored Semien with a go-ahead single, Zach Marberry double and Seth Spivey drove in two more to put the ‘Runners on top 10-7. Navarro managed two more runs in the ninth, but AC reliever Jerin Spikes induced a couple of game-ending fly outs to cap the 10-9 AC win and the sweep.

The Roadrunners (21-11, 4-2) will host Bossier Parish in a Saturday doubleheader scheduled for a 1 p.m. start. Live audio/video streaming will be available by logging onto www.angelina.edu and clicking on the Athletics link.