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When called up for a key hit, Crowder College freshman Kyle Clifton came through in a much needed way Tuesday in an elimination game in the 53rd Annual Junior College World Series.
The Truman High School graduate’s hit sparked a small rally in the eighth inning and Crowder would plate a run in the bottom of the ninth to beat Faulkner State (Ala.) Community College in a 19-18 slugfest at Suplizio Field.
Crowder, ranked No. 10 in the country, built up a 15-9 lead over the Sun Chiefs going into the top of the eighth inning. The Sun Chiefs, ranked No. 9, scored nine runs in the top half of the inning to take a 18-15 lead.
The Roughriders were down to their last six outs and trailing by three. A loss would send them home, while a win kept them alive another day in what was a 10-team field when the tournament started Saturday. The team rallied to win, and it all started with a three-run eighth inning.
The bottom of the eighth inning started with a single by John Neill, who moved to second base on a ground out. With the No. 9 spot up to bat, Crowder coach Travis Lallemand called on Clifton to bat. The freshman delivered, getting a double to the gap in left field, which got another run on the board.
It was Clifton’s first at-bat in a two-week span, but he did his job.
“I was just waiting for a good pitch to hit,” said Clifton, The Examiner’s 2009 High School Baseball Player of the Year. “He threw me a fastball low and away the first pitch and I thought he would come back with another fastball.”
Clifton was just happy to contribute.
“It was good to get an at-bat and get my chance,” he added. “I didn’t want to do too much, just get a base hit. I’m always ready to hit if Coach needs me. This is a game where you use your entire bench, so you always have to be ready.”
Clifton, incidentally, doubled in his last pinch-hit at-bat against Maple Woods in the championship game of the Region XVI Tournament.
Clifton later scored in the inning, as did Colby Roberts, to tie the game 18-18.
“One thing, because of injuries, we have a lot of guys with 60 at-bats but we were looking at matchups in that situation,” Lallemand said. “We got a big hit from Kyle. He has swung the bat well lately for us, and it was a good move position-wise too, because we didn’t have to burn two players, we could put him in the game.”
When called up for a key hit, Crowder College freshman Kyle Clifton came through in a much needed way Tuesday in an elimination game in the 53rd Annual Junior College World Series.
The Truman High School graduate’s hit sparked a small rally in the eighth inning and Crowder would plate a run in the bottom of the ninth to beat Faulkner State (Ala.) Community College in a 19-18 slugfest at Suplizio Field.
Crowder, ranked No. 10 in the country, built up a 15-9 lead over the Sun Chiefs going into the top of the eighth inning. The Sun Chiefs, ranked No. 9, scored nine runs in the top half of the inning to take a 18-15 lead.
The Roughriders were down to their last six outs and trailing by three. A loss would send them home, while a win kept them alive another day in what was a 10-team field when the tournament started Saturday. The team rallied to win, and it all started with a three-run eighth inning.
The bottom of the eighth inning started with a single by John Neill, who moved to second base on a ground out. With the No. 9 spot up to bat, Crowder coach Travis Lallemand called on Clifton to bat. The freshman delivered, getting a double to the gap in left field, which got another run on the board.
It was Clifton’s first at-bat in a two-week span, but he did his job.
“I was just waiting for a good pitch to hit,” said Clifton, The Examiner’s 2009 High School Baseball Player of the Year. “He threw me a fastball low and away the first pitch and I thought he would come back with another fastball.”
Clifton was just happy to contribute.
“It was good to get an at-bat and get my chance,” he added. “I didn’t want to do too much, just get a base hit. I’m always ready to hit if Coach needs me. This is a game where you use your entire bench, so you always have to be ready.”
Clifton, incidentally, doubled in his last pinch-hit at-bat against Maple Woods in the championship game of the Region XVI Tournament.
Clifton later scored in the inning, as did Colby Roberts, to tie the game 18-18.
“One thing, because of injuries, we have a lot of guys with 60 at-bats but we were looking at matchups in that situation,” Lallemand said. “We got a big hit from Kyle. He has swung the bat well lately for us, and it was a good move position-wise too, because we didn’t have to burn two players, we could put him in the game.”
Clifton, after the at-bat, went to play first base in the top of the ninth and was on deck when the winning run scored.
“We advance another day in the Junior College World Series and get to play another day,” Clifton said. “Being the first team to ever make it here from Crowder and get a win in the World Series, I felt I did my part today.”
Prior to the tournament, Clifton was hitting .317 with six doubles, one triple, one home run and 23 RBIs. Crowder’s roster also includes pitcher Kyle Seithel, a Blue Springs High School graduate.
