Cathedral committs 7 errors in Game 2 loss

By Jeff Edwards (Contact) | The Natchez Democrat

Published Saturday, May 10, 2008

MABEN — Tony Bennett may have left his heart in San Francisco, but on Friday night, the Cathedral Green Wave left their bats and gloves in Natchez.

One night after pounding out 12 hits and 13 runs, the Green Wave offense collected just five hits and scored only one run, while committing an astounding seven errors, in a 10-1 loss to East Webster in Game 2 of the Class 1A South State championship series.

Game 3 of the series will be at 1 p.m. today at Canton Academy. The winner advances to the State finals, which will be played at Trustmark Park in Pearl.

“We didn’t bring our gloves or bats up here to play,” Cathedral coach Craig Beesley said. “We’ve been playing good defense the entire playoffs. It was just one of those days.”

Cathedral had an over four-hour bus ride up to Maben, about 20 minutes outside of Starkville, and Beesley thought that may have affected his team.

“Hopefully we’ll come back ready to play (today), Beesley said.”

East Webster took advantage of two Green Wave errors to jump on top in the second inning.

After back-to-back batters reached on errors, Blake Love hit a three-run homer to give the Wolverines the only runs they would need.

East Webster scored two more in the fifth and put the game away with five runs in the sixth, capped by a Jermaine Liggins grand slam.

Cathedral’s only run was on a solo home run by starting pitcher Daniel Jenkins.

In addition to getting blown out, Cathedral had some more bad news when designated hitter Hunter Foster was injured in a collision at first base.

Beesley said Foster either suffered a deep contusion or a broken bone in his leg. Foster was at a Starkville hospital Friday night receiving treatment and his condition was not known at press time.

Foster’s injury forces Beesley to pitch Preston Edwards on just one days rest because Foster plays center field when the regular center fielder, and would-be Game 3 starting pitcher Aaron White pitches.

Instead of traveling back to Natchez Friday night, the team was spending the night in Canton to avoid another long bus trip Saturday.

“We want to come out and be mentally ready to play,” Beesley said. “We blew them out on our field and they blew us out on their field, so hopefully we’ll get back on top (at a neutral site).”