Chamberlain throws a scare into the Panthers, but makes key mistakes at the wrong time.
By SCOTT PURKS
Published May 12, 2004
TAMPA - From the looks of their records - Plant 23-6 and Chamberlain 16-12 - you might think the Panthers would spank the Chiefs.
The trouble with that assessment comes down to a couple of things: Chamberlain's record is deceiving because it has lost many close games, and for whatever reason, the Chiefs give Plant extreme fits.
Case in point was Tuesday's region opener at Chamberlain where Plant escaped with a 5-4 victory, leaving Panther coach Bo Puckett a bit shaky.
"I have to say (Chamberlain) is the scrappiest team we've played all year," Puckett said. "They drove us crazy in the Tony Saladino Tournament final (before Plant won 3-2 in the 14 innings), and now they give us this today.
"Chamberlain just stepped on my very last nerve. I mean I really don't think I have a nerve left."
The nerve stomping started early Tuesday when Chamberlain snuffed a first-inning rally with strong defense. Despite three hits, including a leadoff double by Andrew Kuykendall, Plant came away with just one run.
In the bottom of the first, Chamberlain scraped together a run with a single, a stolen base and a single two hitters later.
The Chiefs then took a 2-1 lead after three consecutive flare singles in the fourth, and with Manny Mull looking strong on the mound, who knew what might happen?
"We always believed we could win," Chamberlain coach Dick Rohrberg said. "But we made too many mistakes at key moments."
In the top of the fifth, for instance, the Chiefs dropped an infield pop up with the bases loaded that led to a run and then made a throwing error that led to another.
After an insurance run in the top of the seventh on a delayed squeeze bunt - "Which turned out to be pretty darned important," Puckett said - the Panthers took a 5-2 lead into the Chiefs' final at-bat.
That's when four of Chamberlain's first five hitters slapped singles, leading to two runs and runners on first and second with one out.
"I kept thinking "Oh my God they're going to keep getting these bloop singles (Chamberlain finished with 11 hits, all singles),"' Puckett said. "Like I said, they just keep finding a way to get it done."
In the end, Chamberlain's final two hitters struck out, but not until after Plant went to its third pitcher, Ken Wadsworth.
"Which was the first time this year that we've used our top three pitchers (Wadsworth, Johnny Williams and J.R. Dunaway) in the same game," Puckett said.
"The great thing is that we have the luxury of having three great pitchers like that. Still, Chamberlain was making me a little nervous."
Plant moves on to play in Friday's regional semifinal at Lakeland George Jenkins, which defeated Mitchell 5-1.
"If we have to use three pitchers again on Friday then that's what we'll do," Puckett said. "We're just going to keep attacking."
