Squirrels erase slow start, beat Elsberry 8-4

sports@standard-democrat.com

CHARLESTON -- Overcoming a rough third inning against Elsberry on Thursday, the Charleston Fighting Squirrels scored seven unanswered runs in the final three innings to win their first game 8-4 in Pool 2 at the Bleacher Bum Invitational.

"We're never beat," Charleston head coach Michael Minner said. "We're starting to do the little things and believe that we can win. To be 20-3 at this point, we're starting to play really good baseball.

"We kicked a few balls around and gave them four runs, but Matt Ulrich did a real good job on the mound of staying composed and fighting."

Elsberry scored all four of their runs in the bottom of the third on two hits,two walks and an error to take a 4-1 advantage.

After a scoreless fourth, the Squirrels answered in the top of the fifth when Bruce Simmons single to start a string of four straight hits. Ryan Fortner plated Simmons for the first run of the rally, followed by a Blake Wolferding sacrifice fly.

Tim Fox came in on an overthrow to second base on a steal by Brad Potts to tie the game 4-4.

Simmons once again reached in the sixth to start another three-run rally with Fortner knocking in two runs on a double to deep left. Another sacrifice fly from Wolferding made it 7-4.

Charleston added one more insurance run int he seventh on a pair of errors to make up the final.

"We fought back, took the lead and then shut them down," Minner said.

Fortner led the Squirrels' 12 hit attack, going a perfect 4 for 4 at the plate. He had a pair of doubles and drove in four runs while coming up with the bases loaded twice.

"He knocking the crap out of the ball," Minner said of Fortner. "He was the right man in the right spot coming up with the bases loaded twice. The first time he drives in one and then scores two more.

"He's the guy we want at the plate when he game son the line and he's been that guys for us the past three years."

Helping Fortner's run production was Simmons, batting in the ninth spot, where he was 3 for 3 while also getting hit by a pitch to reach in all four appearances.

Simmons started each of the first three Squirrel rallies by getting on base and scored twice.

"He comes up with three hits tonight and then he gets two strikes on him in his other at bat, they throw an inside curveball and he doesn't get out of the way," Minner said of Simmons. "That's how you start a rally and that's what it takes to win games.

Potts and Fox had two hits each while Austin Aldridge contributed a single to round out the offense.

Able to work out of several jams, Ulrich held Elsberry in check after the third inning to earn the win. He went six innings, giving up five hits and four walks while striking out four.

With his team up 6-4 in the sixth he stopped one last Elsberry rally attempt after giving up back-to-back hits to start the frame. A double play on a fly ball to centerfield saw the lead runner caught at the plate to keep Charleston lead intact.

Elsberry followed up by loading the bases, but Ulrich caught their cleanup hitter on a swinging third strike to end the threat.

Jarrett Sandlin came in closed things out with a scoreless seventh.

"This team is going to battle," Minner said. "They're learning a lot about each other and I'm learning a lot about these kids. We're starting to figure out where guys need to be. We have guys competing, battling and our pitching has been tremendous."

Charleston will continue pool 2 play today at against Sikeston at 1 p.m. at Hillhouse Park. Though they won't be competing to come out of pool 1, they'll also play in place of Greenville in in that pool against Blytheville at 5 p.m.

The Squirrels picked up a 13-2 win over South Pemiscot in pool 1 on Thursday.

Charleston 001 033 1 - 8

Elsberry 004 000 0 - 4

WP -- Matt Ulrich. LP -- Dale Diederich. Multiple hitters: (C) Brad Potts 2-5, Tim Fox 2-3, Ryan Fortner 4-4, Bruce Simmons 3-3; (E) Luke Robbins 2-4, Nick Kane 2-3. 2B -- (C) Fortner 2; (E) Robbins.