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A handful of plays that did not go in favor of the Panthers (15-5, 8-3) factored in to a heartbreaking 3-2 loss to the Hornets, and likely has taken their chances of a regular season conference championship away. Instead, the Hornets (16-5, 9-2) appear destined to win their first CCC title since the mid 1980s with sixth-place North Rowan left on the schedule. Meanwhile, Ledford must regroup and try to hold onto second with a game against rival East Davidson left on the schedule.
“We don’t have time to sit around and feel sorry for ourselves and our guys won’t do that,” said Ledford coach Chris Adams. “There is a long way to go.”
The visiting Panthers scratched to take a crucial 2-0 lead in the third on a booming two-run home shot to left off the bat of Patrick Koontz, visibly shaking Salisbury starter Alex Britt.
Ricky Vaughn got the nod to start for Ledford in place of ace Justin Livengood, who is still ailing from a shoulder injury. He pitched about as good as he possibly could striking out four and surrendering three hits, but three of several crucial plays in the fourth wound up costing him a win.
He allowed runners to get on second and third with no outs, setting up the first big break for Salisbury. Vaughn smoked a fastball on the outer edge that appeared to be the third strike on Britt, but was called a ball. Moments later, Britt ripped an offering to left for a sacrifice fly to score Robbie Ijames. The next batter reached on a single putting runners on the corners, bringing to the plate Doug Seamon.
After watching a couple pitches, Seamon laced a sharp grounder to shortstop Cory Alcon for a sure inning-ending 6-4-3 double play. But Alcon let the ball scoot through his legs to the outfield and both runners on base scored to take a 3-2 lead.
“That was a tailor-made double play ball,” said Adams. “When you get in a game like this four or five plays are going to decide it, and certainly that was one of those plays that went towards deciding the outcome.”
Luck appeared to swing back towards the Panthers in the fifth as SHS center-fielder David Ijames lost the ball in the lights allowing Koontz to reach third with a leadoff triple. In good position to score a run, Livengood approached the dish. He fouled a ball off to shallow right near the fence down the first baseline that second baseman Ben Ijames rushed over on to make a spectacular sliding catch against the fence. Adams plays aggressive ball and decided to let Koontz try to score. The throw came in and beat him by a good four steps, taking away the scoring chance and seemingly ending the game.
“That was my fault. We were being aggressive and I should have done a better job there to let some guys after him get a hit,” said Adams.
Ledford would make one final drive in the sixth at getting the score tied, but the field umpire appeared to take that away. Ryan Fitzgerald blooped a single to right and stole second with no outs. Travis Vogler followed with a grounder to short and appeared to beat the throw to first from Robbie Ijames, but the umpire pulled the plug for the out and Adams went to argue the call to no avail.
Fitzgerald did make it to third on Alcon’s groundout to short, but was left stranded there when Jacob Scott’s bunt attempt for a hit went straight to Britt on the mound who fired to first for the out.
LHS went down in order in the seventh as Salisbury celebrated on the mound.
Placed in a tough situation, Vaughn answered the call and Adams could not have expected anything more than he got. It was definitely one of Vaughn’s best outings of his career, but the baseball gods just weren’t on his side on this night.
“When he comes over here and holds that team down, you can’t ask for anything more than that,” said Adams of Vaughn. “It was a great game and one you would expect out of the top two teams in the league. We were a play here or there from winning the game.”
Koontz finished 3-for-4 and was a single shy of the cycle.
Ledford plays Trinity on Saturday at the Hi-Toms Classic.