Boyd-Buchanan's Josh Antwine delivers a pitch against Sonoraville (Ga.) on Saturday at AT&T Field. The right-handed Antwine threw a complete game and struck out 11 in a tough 4-3 loss.
photo by Dennis Norwood
Boyd-Buchanan right-hander Josh Antwine pitched perhaps his best game of the season Saturday night at AT&T Field.
The only downside of that assessment was the fact that Antwine just happened to be playing the best team he’s faced this spring.
Sonoraville’s Drew Wilson hit and pitched the Phoenix to a 4-3 victory on a pleasant night for baseball at the home of the Lookouts.
In earlier games, Walker Valley beat Watertown, 4-1, and Boyd-Buchanan lost to Calhoun, another Gordon County (Ga.) school, 8-0.
“I threw one of my best games, if not the best, of the year,” said Antwine (3-3), who went the distance, yielding seven hits and striking out 11, including three in the seventh.
“I know we lost but that’s the best team I’ve faced. They made solid contact all night.
“This was a loss, but I gained a lot of confidence throwing so well against a very good opponent.”
Wilson belted two doubles and drove in all four Sonoraville runs, three coming on an opposite-field blast to left in the fourth inning. He also had an RBI double in the third.
The senior, getting back in the groove after missing most of the past three or four weeks with a shoulder injury, worked five strong innings on the mound, checking the Bucs on seven hits. He struck out seven and walked two.
“It’s nice to have a game like this,” said Wilson, who said he’s leaning toward playing junior college ball and is likely to sign with one of three schools – Walters State, Roane State and Georgia Highlands – although he’s getting some interest from Tennessee Tech University and Morehead State. “It feels good to get back into the swing of things.”
Speaking of swings, Wilson’s performance at the plate matched his pitching effort and Antwine didn’t shy away from praising the Phoenix slugger.
“I give him a lot of credit,” the Bucs hurler said. “I threw an outside fastball and he stayed inside it and hit it to the other side. It seemed like the ball rolled forever.”
Wilson drove the ball down the right-field foul line, it rolled into foul territory, hit the brick wall and got past right-fielder E.J Matthews. Credited with a double, Wilson wound up at third after the outfield misplay.
His clutch hit scored Clark Johnson, Ryan Gross and Brevin Harris, who reached on a walk and back-to-back singles to load the bases.
Antwine retired Thad Harris on a pop to short and struck out Patrick Ferguson, but Wilson didn’t waste the Phoenix’s most serious scoring threat of the game.
Ferguson singled to start the third, stole second and scored on Wilson’s first double. Griff Bryant walked, but Antwine struck out Zach Collum and Brandon Dendy hit into an inning-ending double play.
Starting with a strikeout of Bryant to end the fourth inning, Antwine retired the final 10 batters he faced and struck out the last four.
He just couldn’t get the upper hand against Wilson.
“Drew has been swinging the bat well,” Sonoraville coach Deron Walraven said. “It was really good to see him get pitches and drive the ball to right field. As for his pitching, he’s only thrown three innings in the last four weeks until tonight with the shoulder problem.
“What he did tonight was what he’s done since the ninth grade.”
The Bucs took an early lead when Cade Evans, who made a spectacular diving catch later in the game, singled and stole second and third before scoring on an error in the first inning.
In the second, Brandon Willingham smashed a towering one-hop-to-the-fence double to left center and scored when Hunter Payne singled through the left side to give Boyd-Buchanan a 2-0 lead.
Wilson gave up a single to Austin Jackson in the third, but struck out three batters. It was obvious Wilson had found the strike zone.
After Sonoraville (11-6) went up 3-2, the Bucs (14-8) tied the game in the fifth.
Skyler Anderson walked and was forced out a second on an infield grounder by Evans. Antwine flied out to right and E.J. Matthews belted a run-scoring double to left. Wilson fanned Jackson to end the inning.
The Bucs threatened in the seventh against Sonoraville reliever Hayden Bunch.
Seth Caudle singled to left and Anderson reached on a bunt. Both runners advanced on a wild pitch and had the tying and go-ahead runs in scoring position with none out.
Bunch bowed up and retired Evans, Antwine and Matthews on outfield fly balls to end the game.
“That was a good game,” Bucs coach Josh Rider said. “The three-run hit hurt us big time, but Josh is a bulldog out there. He just keeps coming at you, mixing up his fastball and curve. When Sonoraville went up 4-2, I told the kids, ‘Let’s win this game.’
“We were playing a state-tournament caliber team and this is a great gauge to show where we are right now.”
LINESCORE
Sonoraville 001 300 0 – 4 7 1
Boyd-Buchanan 110 010 0 – 3 7 1
Wilson, Bunch (7) and Collum, Carnes (7); Antwine and Payne.
(E-mail Larry Fleming at larryfleming44@gmail.com and follow him on Twitter @larryfleming44)
Skyler Anderson of Boyd-Buchanan avoids the tag of Sonoraville first baseman Ryan Gross and reaches safely on a bunt single seventh inning of a high school baseball game at AT&T Field. Sonoraville won, 4-3.
photo by Dennis Norwood