Fowler Pitches Powdersville To 9-5 Win Over Hanahan Earning Patriots AAA Baseball Title

By Billy G. Baker

Publisher

Gilbert -After losing game one at Hanahan (30-5) on Monday, in the AAA baseball state championship series, junior Clemson pitching commitment Landon Fowler of Powdersville (25-10) , had five days to think about his second opportunity, when the Powdersville Patriots rallied for a 5-4 extra innings win at home two days later.

Fowler was the man of the hour in Powdersville’s 9-5 win at Gilbert High on May, 25^th as he hand-cuffed the Hawks with a two hitter, as his patented fast-ball topped 90-plus most of the humid afternoon with a rain shower delaying the start of the game for around one hour. (Powdersville also won the AAA boys’ basketball state title back in March). 

Fowler left the mound with one out in the top of the 7^th (due to pitch-count rules) and Hanahan immediately rallied for five runs to cut the margin of their loss to 9-5.

“Nothing better than to have the ball in my hand for game three,” said Fowler after the game. “Our coaches said that all the rain did was delay our anticipated dog-pile for an hour. We came in ready to play today because we knew it was a do-or-die situation.

“I am going to Clemson as a pitcher and while getting to play both ways would be great, I know that my future is on the mound,” said Fowler who also had three RBI’s in the game. “My fast-ball is my best pitch but I am working in some off-speed stuff to keep the batters off-balance.

“Coming back and helping the team win another championship next year has always been my plan,” said Fowler. “My plans right now are to rest my arm for a little while and start throwing later in the summer with a focus on getting ready to win another state title next year.”

Powdersville head coach Wade Padgett told a group of reporters after the game, “It’s hard to argue that Landon didn’t have his best game on the mound all season today, going out there and giving up two hits against a really good line-up,” said Coach Padgett. “They showed that they could hit at the end of the game and we ended up needing every-one of those 9 runs.

“Just very proud of our guys, our coaching staff, and these guys worked extremely hard every single day,” said Coach Padgett. “In our 12-inning game, in game two, I think we were out there over four hours and we never gave up.

“I have been around this group of players since the 7^th grade on and I coached many of them as middle schoolers,” said Coach Padgett. “We played a lot of these guys early as sophomores on the varsity. I felt like this group could reach this level at some point and they proved that today.”

Hanahan coach Skylar Hunter spent most of the post-game consoling his hard-working group who took the loss very hard after also losing to Clinton in the finals last season. “No doubt Fowler was a very good pitcher today and he pounded the strike zone all game,” said Coach Hunter. “We knew if we could take a few pitches, foul a lot of balls off and get the pitch count up on Fowler that we would eventually get him off the mound. It just came one inning too late for us.

“I was really proud of being able to score five runs after Fowler left the game in the top of the 7th,” said Coach Hunter. “It was just a little too late with them having a 9-run lead at that point in the game.”

Coach Hunter said he is proud of a large senior starting group moving on with graduation in a few days. “We will miss right-fielder Landon Gomes, first baseman Hunter Gomes, Jacob Bunting at second base, Oakley Aguilar at short, Porter Sprovero at third base, and designated hitter Riley Turner. Outfielder OM Patel was a late addition to the team as well this season. We will miss all our seniors and their leadership on-and-off the field.” 

After both teams went score-less for three innings, Powdersville finally got to Hanahan starter Gabe Dotterweich who had won game one scoring five runs off five singles and a walk. Two-hole hitter Cotes Reid led off with a single and was advanced to second on a single by first baseman Braden Williams. Designated hitter Eli Hudgins drew a walk to load the bases. 

Right fielder Maddox Robinson hit a SAC-fly to score Reid to make it 1-0. Foster then singled in Williams to make it 2-0. Second baseman Kolbe Giles then laid down a bunt-single scoring Hudgins making it 3-0. It became 4-0 when Fowler scored on a throwing error. A Sac-fly by third baseman Jack Hunsinger scored the Giles to give the Patriots a 5-0 lead. 

Powdersville added two insurance runs in the bottom of the 5^th inning on four consecutive one-out singles by Williams, Hudgins, Robinson and Fowler. Fowler’s single drove in both runs to make the score 7-0.  In the bottom of the 7^th the Patriots added two more runs. Chance Kennedy reached on a bunt single and Reid drew a walk. Kennedy later came in from third on a wild pitch to make it 8-0 and Reid also scored from third on a wild pitch to close out his team’s nine runs.

After Fowler was forced off the mound due to pitch-count rules with one-out in the top of the 7^th Hanahan found success at the plate. Catcher Hudson Sprovero singled to score a run and Porter Sprovero doubled to bring in two runs. Oakley Aguilar reached on an error and later scored. Hunter Gomes singled in Hanahan’s 5^th and final run. Before a short fly to center field ended the game with two runners left on base. 

For the game Powdersville had 11 base hits with one fielding error. Hanahan had seven base hits with two errors.