A Taylor- made victory for the Rangers

Columbia Northeast's Will Taylor got the game- winning two- out RBI single in the bottom of the ninth inning. Monday, June 29, 2009

The last time the Richland Post 6 Pathfinders and Columbia Northeast Post 182 Rangers got together on June 8 at Ridge View High School the teams combined for 21 hits, 17 runs, and six home runs. This past Monday, June 29, they met again, but this time pitching ruled, and the two combined for 12 hits, seven runs, and 17 strikeouts.

While the bats cooled, the outcome was far more dramatic in this meeting as Will Taylor's two- out single to right field plated Jake Zokan in the bottom of the ninth to give Columbia Northeast the 4- 3 victory. It was part of a stellar effort for Taylor who finished 3- for- 4 with the game winning RBI.

The Rangers struck first in the bottom half of the first inning when Michael Hanzlik scored from third base on a past ball to give Post 182 a 1- 0 lead. Columbia Northeast starting pitcher Will Smith would then strike out at least two Richland batters in each of the second, third, and fourth innings.

Columbia Northeast's Richard Crisostomo tries to catch Richland's Kyle Towles in a rundown. Towles was able to escape. Richland pitcher Josh Landry settled in to the game as well retiring six of seven batters in the second and third innings. However, the Rangers were able to strike again when Dwayne Addy hit into a double play with the bases loaded that allowed Julio Iglesias to score from third base giving Columbia Northeast a 2- 0 lead.

The Pathfinders finally touched up Smith a bit with two straight one- out singles from Rush Tompkins and Jackson Vause in the top half of the fifth inning. With Tompkins at third and Vause at first, Kurt Stoudenmire knocked a sacrifice fly to center field that scored Tompkins closing the gap to 2- 1.

After Landry retired the Rangers in the bottom of the fifth, Kyle George started the Richland sixth with a single to centerfield. George stole second base, then advanced to third on a wild pitch. Brett Fulmer then drilled a ground ball at Columbia Northeast's new third baseman Tony Price that he could not handle allowing George to score and even the game at 2- 2.

Columbia Northeast's Michael Hanzl ik throws a Richland runner out f rom third base. The Rangers got two on base in the bottom of the sixth inning, but Russell Gahagen came on in relief of Landry to get the final out of the inning. Jay Griffin relieved Smith for the Rangers in the top of the seventh and got off to a rocky start. He surrendered a single to Vause. Stoudenmire then bunted Vause over to second, and Kyle Towles followed with a bunt that Griffin was unable to field allowing Vause to advance to third base. Ryan Mercer then hit a deep fly ball to left center field that Joc Brunson caught, but Vause scored to give Richland a 3- 2 lead. With Towles at first base, George ripped what appeared to be a sure run- scoring double to right field, but Addy was able to make a lunging, running grab to end the inning. Griffin then took over retiring six of the next eight Richland batters he faced, striking out two of them.

The Rangers were able to tie the score at 3- 3 in the bottom of the seventh after a Richland error on a double play attempt allowed Andrew Hill to score from third base.

Columbia Northeast's Will Smith struck out eight Richland batters, scattered five hits, walked just one, and allowed one earned run in six innings of work. In the bottom of the eighth, Gahagen walked three Columbia Northeast batters, but struck out two. He was helped when catcher David Houser gunned down Addy at first base on a pick- off play.

Griffin retired Richland in the top of the ninth, and Gahagen appeared to be in control for Richland in the bottom half of the inning after striking out Hanzlik for the second out. But Gahagen had already walked Zokan and followed the Hanzlik K with a walk of Julio Iglesias, the seventh walk in three innings of work. After a ball to Taylor, Richland coach Ray Derrick elected to bring in Mercer from left field to pitch to Taylor.

Taylor took the first pitch from Mercer and punched it into right field allowing Zokan to score from second base.

Addy had an RBI for Columbia Northeast, and Hill, Zokan, Hanzlik, and Iglesias each scored a run.

Richland's Josh Landry gave five hits and walked four, but struck out three and al lowed just one earned run in 5- 2/3 innings. Vause went 2- for- 4 with a run for Richland, and Stoudenmire had a double and an RBI.