The Bethlehem Christian Academy baseball team dipped its toe into playoff waters for the first time last week and when all was said and done, the temperature was just right.
The Knights improved to 19-2 overall by sweeping visiting Randolph Southern 11-1 in five innings and 5-0. The wins put BCA in the state semifinals against defending champion Crisp Academy this Friday.
“We had the best week of practice we’ve had all year,” said Knights coach Nick Pou. “We came out and had great pitching and defense. Niko (Mailloux) and Jared (Martin) really delivered. We also did a good job with our situational hitting, which is something we stress. We put runs together a few at the time. When you do that, the run total adds up and you emerge with a win.”
Mailloux recorded the win in the first game against the Randolph Southern Patriots (6-17).
The Knights trailed 1-0 after the top of the second inning but took the lead for good in the bottom half of the inning when Chase “Steve” Curtis delivered a two-run single.
BCA tacked on four runs in the bottom of the third. Brandon Hightower drove in Jared Martin and Ramon Rivera with a single.
Hightower advanced to second on a throw home. Ben Morgan and Chandler Garmon walked to load the bases and then a pass to Curtis allowed Hightower to score.
An RBI single by Mailloux allowed Morgan to score for a 6-1 advantage. A double play by Randolph Southern on a catch in center field and then a throw to the plate prevented further damage in the inning.
In the bottom of the fourth, BCA began another productive inning when Martin had a one-out single and then advanced to second on a wild pitch. Hightower was then hit by a pitch.
Morgan reached second on an error allowing Martin to score. A walk to Garmon loaded the bases for another two-run single by Curtis. Garmon then scored on an RBI by Mailloux giving the Knights a 10-1 lead.
Randolph Southern put two runners on in the top of the fifth on walks but did not score.
A single by Martin followed by a walk by Rivera and a single by Hightower loaded the bases again for BCA in the bottom of the fifth.
Morgan was then hit by a pitch allowing Martin to cross home and end the first game on the five-inning, 10-run mercy rule. Bethlehem Christian finished with 12 hits in the series opener.
GAME TWO
Martin pitched another strong outing in the second half of Friday’s doubleheader recording 14 strikeouts while allowing just three hits.
BCA was the designated visitor in game two and put its first run on the board in the top of the second on an infield hit by Garmon which brought Morgan home. Morgan had drawn a two-out walk.
A sacrifice by Matt Masters and a double by Rivera brought two runs home in the top of the third inning for the Knights.
An RBI single by Masters in the top of the fifth scored Mailloux for a 4-0 lead. BCA added its final run in the top of the sixth on an RBI single by Jordan Fountain.
Martin closed the door on Randolph Southern as well as the series with two strikeouts in the seventh and a ground out.
Curtis finished the series by driving in five RBI.
“He was hurt down the stretch,” Pou said. “It’s great to have him back.”
Randolph Southern’s Grant Kimbrel went all seven innings and recorded nine strikeouts.
“He was crafty,” Pou said of his team’s game two foe.
Jared Sauls led the Patriots at the plate in the second contest going 2-for-3. He was the lone runner for Randolph Southern to advance past first base.
“I don’t think we were jittery at all,” said Pou of his team’s first venture into the postseason. “We kept everything the same during the week and I think that helped us once the games started.”
While BCA has no seniors on this year’s team, Randolph Southern was also a young team overall with numerous players set to return for the 2013 season.
