CARROLL TOWNSHIP - It was enough to make even the mild-mannered Bill Callaway spring from his seat behind the backstop.
The Ringgold baseball coach had called for a pitch-out in the fifth inning with a Laurel Highlands' runner attempting to steal. But, Rams sophomore catcher Adam Zewe dropped the ball and it rolled harmlessly in foul territory.
It was the first of two botched pitch-outs and - simply put - a metaphor for Ringgold's day. The Rams out-slugged the Mustangs, nine hits to six, but committed five costly errors en route to a 6-3 defeat in Class AAA Sec. 2. The Rams fell to 1-3 in section and 4-5 overall while Laurel Highlands improved to 3-2, 4-4.
"That's the most errors we've had, but it's part of the game," Callaway said. "I'm not going to blame these kids, there are players making millions of dollars who make the same mistakes every night."
Two of those Rams errors came with the bases loaded on ground balls to a drawn-in infield.
"Two times we have the infield in, we get that grounder and we give them two unearned runs," Callaway said. "I'm not so much frustrated as I am a bit disappointed, but these kids play hard and I'm not going to fault them for that."
The Mustangs capitalized on the Rams' shaky defense and a wild spell by starter Mike Lee to reel off a four-run, fifth inning. They did so with the benefit of just one hit.
After a giving up a single, walk and hit-batsman, Lee walked cleanup hitter Greg Palladino for the first run of the frame. Frank Faust then popped up to third, but Lee walked Paul Metz before Matt Nelson came in from left field to relive.
Nelson then got Josh Guittap to ground softly to second baseman Jason Grant, who was playing in to cut off the run. But Grant's throw home ricocheted off Zewe's glove and Andre Rolaf followed with a sac fly to center to make it 6-1, Laurel Highlands.
Winning pitcher Nick Midlik, in his first career varsity start, went the distance. The sophomore struck out four and walked won. Lee took the loss, despite giving up just five hits and three earned runs. The three other runs were unearned and had Mustangs coach Tom Landman sympathizing with the Rams' plight.
"Believe me, we've been on the other side of the fence with multiple error games and botched plays," Landman said. "Ringgold is a well-coached team and a classy bunch of players; there's nothing you can do about those errors sometimes."
The Rams scored the game's first run in the second frame. They had a chance to break out that inning, but hurt themselves by making two outs before cranking two extra-base hits. With two down, Zewe rocked a double to left, Joe Breiter walked and center fielder Mike McCurry followed with a double to score Zewe, but Breiter was held at third and Nelson flied out to center to end the threat.
The Mustangs then ran up a 2-1 lead scoring runs in the third and fourth. Their leadoff hitters reached base on Ringgold errors and scored on two-out hits in both innings.
Trailing 6-1, Ringgold fought back in the sixth when Joe Breiter cashed in Eugene Lancas and Grant with a two-out knock to left, but they could not muster another hit after that.
"We play good overall ball," Callaway said, with both a smile and a sigh. "It's just the little things, a little thing here and a little thing there, that add up."
The pressure is now on the Rams - who now have three section losses weighing them down in the playoff hunt.
"We have to win out," Callaway said. "We're at Connellsville Thursday, have Albert Gallatin here Saturday and go to Uniontown Tuesday and we have to win them all."
NOTES: Ringgold senior Ryan Bowker atoned for a dropped fly ball in the third inning by gunning down Guittap at home in the fourth. On a base-hit by Andre Rolaf, the senior right fielder charged the ball and launched a perfect one-hop strike to Zewe, who blocked the plate and tagged Guittap's leg for the out ... Nelson registered four strikeouts in the final two innings of relief. The lefty struck out the Mustangs in order in the sixth ... With the wind blowing in, Laurel Highlands took advantage with stole eight bases - two each by Guittap, Faust and Metz ... Grant led the Rams' offense with two hits and a run scored ... In a bizarre set of circumstances in the sixth inning, Ringgold runners advanced a total of four bases on two passed balls and two wild pitches ... The Mustangs had their leadoff hitter reach base in five of the seven innings.
