Dillon comes up short again in bid for state championship

By Shawn Singleton

Published: May 17, 2008

FLORENCE — From the outset, Friday night’s Class 2A baseball championship game between Dillon and Gilbert was anything but pretty.

In a contest that saw eight errors, nine wild pitches and a 15-minute rain delay, someone had to win it.

That’s when Kyle Owings stepped up for Gilbert. The senior allowed one earned run in a complete-game effort as the Indians won their second state title in three years with a 6-2 victory over the Wildcats.

“When school started, we started working toward our goal of a state championship,” said Owings, who fanned 10 batters without a walk in the win. “And when we got the state title series, we wanted it more than anybody.”

“(Owings) was fantastic. He did just a heck of a job against Dillon,” Indians coach Ashley Burnett said. “He told me he wanted the ball on three days’ rest and he proved it tonight.”

Dillon, on the other hand, will have to wait another year to bring home a state title. After failing twice in Class 3A championship series in 2004 and 2006, the Wildcats were denied once again in the 2A title game.

Wildcats coach Gregg Dozier said the pressure of the game might have gotten to both teams early, but Gilbert was able to recover from it.

“(The mistakes could have been nerves,” he said. “Gilbert beat us at our place and we beat them at their place. Both teams came out scared to make a mistake and that’s why we had the game we had.”

Gilbert (26-5) suffered from its attack of nerves in the opening frame, committing two errors and two wild pitches. Dillon took advantage, plating two runs to take a 2-0 lead heading into the bottom of the first inning.

The Indians got a run back off Dillon starter Travis Murphy on Nathan Price’s RBI groundout to score Zach Tronco.

Dillon’s defense gave away the lead in the third inning. After a Desmond Kennedy single and a Murphy wild pitch, Kyle Owings laid down a sacrifice bunt.

Murphy’s throw to first was in time, but Will Celmer couldn’t handle the throw. Kennedy scored to tie the game at 2 and chase Murphy from the game.

Tripp Bethea came in to pitch for the Wildcats (24-9) and immediately uncorked a wild pitch to move Kyle Owings to third. Christopher Owings lifted a sacrifice fly to center to score his brother and give the Indians a 3-2 advantage.

“We played flawless baseball against them (in Gilbert),” Dozier said. “We made too many errors to win tonight. That’s something we have to improve on if we get back here.”

In the fifth inning, Gilbert added some much needed insurance. Kyle Owings drove home Austin LaBounty with an RBI triple to increase the lead to 4-2.

After an intentional walk and another wild pitch, Adam Spires’ suicide squeeze bunt plated another run to give the Indians a 5-2 tally heading into the sixth inning.

Kennedy finished 3-for-4 with an RBI to lead Gilbert. Kyle Owings helped his own cause with two hits and an RBI.

Kyle Johnson and L’Twayne Thompson each had a hit and a run scored to lead Dillon.