Orangeburg Prep rallies for 6-3 baseball victory over Thomas Sumter

Dalzell – Tate Jameson had concerns about how his Orangeburg Prep baseball team would perform in its return to the diamond following a long spring break layoff. Those worries were rightfully founded when the Indians took on Thomas Sumter Academy on Tuesday at General Field, but in the end they came away with a victory.

OP rallied from a 2-0 deficit and a 3-2 deficit and scored three runs in the top of the seventh inning for a 6-3 victory. The triumph improved Orangeburg Prep to 8-6 on the season, but more importantly 2-0 in SCISA Region 4-AAA.

“We were a little hot going into spring break, and it kind of worries me when there's an 8- or 9-day layoff with 15- and 16-year-old kids,” Jameson said. “It's baseball. At the end of the day it was a win. Was it pretty? No, it was not. Hopefully we'll have some fight and get back at it.”

It’s a big rest of the week for the Indians. They have a home non-region contest against AAAA Ben Lippen on Wednesday before playing host to region foe Northside Christian Academy on Thursday. NCA is also 2-0 in region action.

TSA dropped to 1-11 on the season and 0-2 in region play, but it gave OP all it could handle.

“Honestly, today was the best I’ve seen the guys,” said first-year head coach Lenny Gonzalez. “They were tough in the batter’s box.”

The game was tied 3-3 going into the seventh. OP junior shortstop Eli Pantaleon drew a leadoff walk from Thomas Sumter starting pitcher Gavin McKaskill. Pantaleon stole second before being moved to third on a sacrifice bunt by senior rightfielder Davis Turner.

That would be the first of three consecutive bunts by Orangeburg Prep. Junior leadoff hitter Tadd Jameson bunted for a base hit with Pantaleon remaining at third. Eighth-grade second baseman Cholly Williams pushed a bunt to the first base side of the pitcher’s mound, and this time Pantaleon came home. McKaskill came off the mound and made a nice play getting the ball home. However, Pantaleon made an even better head-first slide, reaching around catcher Dalton Sharpe to touch the back end of the plate just before Sharpe could apply the tag.

“I believe in small ball,” Coach Jameson said, citing it as a major factor in how the University of South Carolina won consecutive national championships under head coach Ray Tanner. “That's something I believe in as a high school coach, and if you can execute it you put the pressure on the other team, and it worked tonight for us.”

After sophomore Tilden “T” Riley was walked to load the bases, junior cleanup hitter Charlie McCutchen delivered a sharp single to left field that scored Jameson and Williams to make it 6-3.

“Charlie comes up there with two strikes, a 0-2 count, and just barrels one up, single to the left side to score two runs,” Coach Jameson said of his junior catcher, who is batting over .450 with four home runs. “Charlie's that guy. I know a lot of people know Charlie, and if they don't, they need to look up Charlie. He's hitting the ball on the nose. He's a well-gifted kid who is looking for somewhere to go to play (college) ball, and we're trying to get him there.”

Freshman right-hander Parker Gray had a 1-2-3 bottom of the seventh to close out the game and pick up the win. Gray came on in relief of starter Tadd Jameson in the fifth with no outs, runners on first and second and a run in for Thomas Sumter for a 3-2 lead. He got out of the inning with no further damage and ended up working three scoreless innings.

“We came back flat, but we had a ninth-grader step up and take the ball out of a junior's hand in the fifth inning, and he really showed out on the mound,” Coach Jameson said.

The Generals jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the third. Leadoff hitter John Morgan singled with one out. After another out, McKaskill and Sharpe drew walks to load the bases. Morgan and McKaskill scored on an error on a Sanders Altman groundball.

The Indians got the runs back in the top of the fourth. Riley led off with a single and went all the way to third on an errant pickoff attempt. McCutchen was intentionally walked and stole second. Junior Kyle Cooper poked a single into right to make it 2-1. Cooper was thrown out trying to steal second, but McCutchen came home on the throw to tie the game.

TSA regained the lead at 3-2 in the fifth. McKaskill drew a leadoff walk and eventually scored on an infield single by Sharpe. Orangeburg Prep tied the game in the sixth. McCutchen drew a 1-out walk before Cooper was hit by a pitch. McCutchen scored on a 2-out single by Gray.

The Indians finished with six hits, but Coach Jameson hopes this game was an anomaly. Along with McCutchen’s big stick, Riley was hitting .430 with two homers entering the game. Tadd Jameson, junior Morrison Burroughs and Cooper were all hitting around .400.

“I feel we can hit the ball with any team, then we come back off a break and we're very sluggish,” the head coach said.

Coach Jameson’s son, Tadd, is considered the staff ace. “Tadd doesn't throw that hard, probably around 76 or 77 (miles per hour) at the top end, but he's always around the plate,” Jameson said of the righty.

With a starting lineup made up of five juniors, one sophomore, one freshman, one eighth-grader and one senior, Coach Jameson is excited about the future. However, the present awaits OP with two big games the rest of the week.

Coach Jameson expects to throw Pantaleon against Ben Lippen on Wednesday. He has taken some time off from pitching because of arm soreness.

“He throws with a lot of velocity,” the head coach said “Hopefully this break gave us a little rest for him.”

The left-handed Burroughs, who is the No. 2 starter, is expected to toe the rubber against Northside on Thursday. Others who have pitched effective innings are Williams, Riley and McCutchen.

Coach Jameson said OP has had its share of ups and downs, but he is excited to see what the rest of the season holds.

“These guys can play when they want to play,” he said. “I'm pleased with what we're doing in this home stretch. We've got 10 games left, and hopefully we'll put it together and make a run. They're playing good baseball now.”

Gonzalez hopes this game was the start of a strong finish for the Generals.

“I feel like we could have won,” he said. “That's a team that we can definitely beat. But again, they put up a really great fight. And that was a great game to be in.

This year we haven't performed to the abilities that I know they have. I've been trying to get them to be a little tougher, what to do when things go south. But I do believe if we keep going that we're going to go in the right direction.”