March 3, 2009

Gill glides the Tide past Bay High 5-0

by Carey Meitzler

Picayune--Hunter Gill may have had a dinner reservation he was late for by the way he pitched on Tuesday night.  

Gill stifled the Bay High Tiger bats en route to a two-hit shutout in Picayune's 5-0 win at the Field of Dreams in

a game that lasted just over one hour and thirty minutes.

With Gill only allowing one baserunner through the first three innings, Picayune scratched across single runs

against Bay High starter Anthony Lusco in the second and third innings.  In the second, Jake Riser stroked a

two-out double to left center and scored on Evan Nichelson's line drive single to right center for a 1-0 lead.  

In the third inning,  Bryce Ladner singled to center and scored when Jared Bales' grounder to third ended up in

the right field corner on an errant throw by the Tiger third baseman.

While Gill continued to work fast and record outs, Picayune added two more runs in the bottom of the fifth.  Brett

Milner's dribbler in front of home plate was fielded by the Bay High catcher who threw wildly past first base and

down the right field line allowing Milner to scamper all the way to third base.   Gill helped his own cause by lifting

a sacrifice fly ball to center driving in Milner.  After Ladner lined out to center, Jared Bales deposited the first pitch

from Lusco over the left center field wall for his third home run of the season and a 4-0 lead.

With two outs in the sixth, Jake Riser collected his third hit of the game with a single to center.  After stealing

second base, Riser scored on Nichelson's doubled off the base of the left field wall for a 5-0 lead.

Gill allowed just two singles, walked one, hit one batter, and struck out 11 batters in recording the win.

Picayune (5-1, 3-0) will travel to Bay High on Friday to complete the home and home series with the

Tigers (2-6, 0-3).