Clover High baseball battle-tested after Wheels tourney

The Clover High School baseball team gained nonregion experience in the 10th annual Wheels Invitational Baseball Tournament hosted by Rock Hill, Northwestern and South Pointe high schools.

The Blue Eagles won two of their three games in the tournament, defeating General McLane (Pa.) Lancers 12-8 Friday at the Northwestern baseball complex and Faith Baptist (Ga.). The team lost to Northwestern.

In the game against General McLane, Clover took advantage of 11 walks and eight wild pitches, using aggressive base running in scoring situations.

Cole Hybarger stole home in the second inningand walked three times in the game.

Jimmy Marcelli finished 3-for-4, including a home run a walk and four RBIs.

Clover pushed across three runs in the first inning.

Stanley Durkin highlighted the inning with an RBI-double that scored Hybarger. Durkin reached base all four at-bats.

General McLane scored in the bottom of the first but the CHS team plated two runs in the second.

After the Lancers sliced the lead to 5-3, the Blue Eagles answered with a three-run fourth, highlighted by Marcelli’s home run.

General McLane rallied with four runs in the fourth, but Clover answered with a four spot in the fifth to seal the win.

Noah Lindsay had a strong relief effort in the final 3 1/3 innings, allowing one run on three hits.

Host Northwestern defeated the Blue Eagles 7-2 on the first day of the tournament. Marcelli had a RBI double and Landon Harkey had an RBI hit, but the Trojans pushed across runs late in the game.

Clover defeated Faith Baptist (Ga.) 8-2, with starting hurler Justin Adams shutting out the Georgia team in a six-inning stint.

Adams was dominant on the mound, limiting Faith Baptist to four hits and striking out five.

The Blue Eagles plated four runs in the second inning and three in the sixth, highlighted by Cody Payne’s two-run double and Hybarger’s clutch RBI double.

Before the Wheels tournament, the Blue Eagles fell to rival York 9-2 last week at home.

“Coach Tisdale is doing a great job with the York team,” said Clover coach Hank Wofford. “They capitalized on some mistakes we made but they did a great job, too.

“Their defense made plays for them. I thought Ryan Gilbert did a good job of throwing strikes and keeping the tempo going.”

York center-fielder Aaron Harper’s running catch when Clover had the bases loaded in the third inning proved to be pivotal.

“You have to credit that center-fielder,” said the CHS coach. “He made a heck of a play. If that ball drops, it sure would have been nice. But we’ll never know.”

Senior Harkey drove in Clover’s two runs with an RBI single and a ground ball that scored a run.

Wofford noted that unlike football, where a team takes a week off after a disappointing loss, baseball affords the opportunity to turn things around in a hurry.

“It’s good for us to get this taste out of our mouths right away.”

The Blue Eagles travel to Rock Hill to play at 7:30 p.m. Friday, April 10.

This story was originally published April 6, 2015 at 3:01 PM with the headline "Clover High baseball battle-tested after Wheels tourney."