Jacksonville Progress
Sun, May 18 2008
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By Don Wallace
sports@jacksonvilleprogress.com
BULLARD — Nick Rumbelow proved he’s a big game pitcher.
Not only did he strike out 14 Bulldogs Tuesday in the 5-1 win over Chapel Hill, but he got better as the game went on.
“Nick came into the dugout about the fifth inning with a very determined look on his face. At that time it was still 2-1; he knew the game was his and he took it,” said Bullard head baseball coach Ronnie Dent.
The statistics prove Dent’s point. Rumbelow scattered five hits over seven innings and allowed one unearned run. With the game on the line he got stronger, retiring nine of the final 11 batters he faced in order, seven on strikeouts.
The win was the eighth in a row for the Panthers who extended their district record to 3-0. They are 10-6 for the season.
The Bullard offense managed only seven hits, but were highlighted by a homer by Charlie Moore and doubles by Austin Camp and Cameron Agnew.
The game was scoreless until the top of the third. Chapel Hill got two base runners with a double and a bunt hit. Rumbelow got Dillan Rushing on strikes, but the runner on first stole second to give the Bulldogs two runners in scoring position. Dalton Clakley hit a hard grounder to Bulldog shortstop Lance Anding who gunned out a runner at the plate. The runners advanced on the throw home. With catcher Sam Ivy at the dish, the Bulldogs scored on a wild pitch to take a 1-0 lead. Ivy was retired on strikes to end the threat.
The Panthers did not take long to answer. Anding reached on an error and moved to second on a sacrifice but by Jacob Whatley.
Moore ripped a pitch up and over the left field fence for a two-run homer. The blast gave Bullard a 2-1 lead.
Rumbelow got in a groove in the top of the fourth, retiring the Bulldogs in order on strikeouts. He did the same hat trick of strikeouts in the sixth frame.
Bullard padded the lead in the bottom of the sixth inning. Camp doubled and was knocked home by Rumbelow to make it a 3-1 game. Agnew doubled to plate Camp. A wild pitch led to another run scoring as Bullard went up 5-1.
Rumbelow finished strong with two strikeouts in the final frame as Bullard claimed the District 14-3A decision.
“We played well, we did not panic early when we did not get runs. We kept doing our job, then we got some timely hitting. We only had seven hits, but we made them count. We know we have to play hard against Chapel Hill; they are a scrappy team. They make you fight to the last out,” Dent said.
The coach added, “Whatley will be pitching for us Friday. He’s a good left-hander. He has been pitching with a lot of determination, like Rumbelow.”
Bullard plays at Brownsboro at 6 p.m. Friday in another key district contest.
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