Region 1-5A: Defending champ Pace moves past Crestview

CRESTVIEW — A gutsy effort by the Crestview baseball team against defending state champion Pace wasn’t enough, as the Patriots came from behind to beat the Bulldogs 6-3 in the Region 1-5A semifinals  on Friday.

“They just had too much firepower for us,” Crestview coach Tim Gillis said. “I thought we played excellent baseball, and we battled. A couple of breaks just didn’t go our way.

Crestview (21-9) struck for three runs on four hits in the second inning to chase Patriot starting pitcher Clay Benefield.

Senior Trevor Carnahan, who was a perfect 3-for-3 in his final game as a Bulldog, got things started with a base hit to left. Tyler Henderson followed with a base hit to right.

A one-out Seth Thomason double scored Carnahan and Henderson. Gabe Gunter hit a line drive through the box to get Thomason home.

The Bulldogs didn’t score again, as Trent Higginbotham moved from third base to the mound in the third inning and went the rest of the way for the win.

With Dylan Lee in control on the mound for the Bulldogs, it looked as if the three runs might be enough.

After getting just three hits in the first five innings the Patriots (25-4) pounded Lee for four hits and three runs in the sixth. The big shot of the inning was a two-run homer by Higginbotham that was ruled just fair by the umpire as the ball left the yard down the left-field line.

Dennis Gibbons replaced Lee with two outs in the sixth to get out of the inning.

The Patriots got to Gibbons, who took the loss, for three runs on four hits in the seventh to take control of the game.

With one out and two men on base, Higginbotham helped his own cause again with a line drive to left field to score Patrick Ervin. Pace scored two more insurance runs.

 “I’m going to miss all of these teammates,” senior David Ogilvie said. “This isn’t the way I wanted to go out, but I would not have had it any other way than fighting with these guys.

“That’s the brotherhood that we’ve worked for. I love these teammates and I am going to miss them all.”