Pillow Academy rebounded from a disappointing Game 1 loss to split a doubleheader with archrival Washington School Tuesday at PA’s Louis Coleman Field.
After falling to pieces in the final inning of the first game, allowing eight runs in the top of the seventh in a 14-4 loss, the Mustangs held off the Generals in Game 2 for a 7-5 victory.
“I am so proud of the way our guys rebounded from a terrible seventh inning. The good thing about baseball is you usually don’t have wait long to get another chance. We needed only 20 minutes this time, and our kids responded,” PA coach Jud Thigpen said. “The pitching was there in the first game, but our defense let us down.
“We played much better defense in the second game and did a good job playing small ball, got some bunts down and got a couple of sac flies.”
The Mustangs (6-9 overall, 1-4 in North AAAA play) only managed two hits and struck out 10 times in the win but were able to take advantage of four walks and six Washington errors.
Eli Burton had a hit and drove in two runs, while Cole Whitfield had the other hit and scored a run. Parker Bariola was credited with a pair of RBIs.
With the first game tied at 2, PA exploded for five runs in the bottom of the fifth.
A two-run error allowed Lake Giachelli and Whitfield to score.
Washington rallied in the top of the seventh, scoring three runs. Austin Kelly had an RBI single and Anderson Shelley a run-scoring triple.
But Whitfield came on in relief of starter Giachelli and got the final out with a strikeout.
Giachelli, a freshman, got the win on the mound with 62/3 innings of work. He struck out four, walked two and gave up five hits.
In the first game, Pillow led 4-1 after three innings, but the Generals outscored the Mustangs 13-0 in the final four innings, with the big blow being eight runs in the seventh to blow open a two-run contest.
Pillow had 11 hits and committed four errors. Triston Burden, Garrett Brown, Whitfield and Giachelli had two hits each. Ethan Reichle had a hit and drove in a pair of runs.
Jacob Garrard had a hit and one RBI. The junior right-hander was the losing pitcher, allowing 11 runs (six earned) on seven hits and seven walks.
Pillow plays at Washington at 3 p.m. Thursday in Greenville in the rubber game of the three-game conference series.
