A.C. Flora baseball rallies from early hole at Forest Acres Classic

A.C. Flora used staunch defense and a big fourth inning to top Wilson Hall 10-6 on Tuesday in the Forest Acres Classic.

The host Falcons were down five runs after the first inning, but coach Andy Hallett told his team to focus on the outs, rather than the score.

“I did a little circle the troops to tell them, look we haven’t used one of our 21 outs yet. They’ve already used three of theirs. So we’re still ahead,” Hallett said.

He counted on his team’s baserunning and bunting skills for the Falcons to make their comeback. That small-ball approach paid off in the fourth inning as the Falcons scored six runs on three hits and three Wilson Hall errors to take the lead.

Six batters into the bottom of the inning, the Falcons were in position to tie the game. Coleman Pope went up to bat facing two outs and the tying run on third. Watts Eaddy tied the game on a passed ball as he slid home underneath the tag of Barons pitcher Chase Belk. That left Bailey Mathews looking to score the go-ahead run from third, and a walk to Pope kept the inning alive. When the Barons tried to catch Mathews leaning off the base, a fielding error allowed both Mathews and Pope to score.

Meanwhile, Blake Loggins pitched six innings in relief to blank the Barons. He struck out seven, gave up one hit and allowed no walks in 74 pitches.

The Falcons fell behind after two errors in the first inning.

When miscommunication in the outfield led to a fielding error, Wilson Hall was able to load the bases in the top of the first. Walker Patrick followed with a grand slam.

“They capitalized on our mistakes, and then the kid hit the ball over the fence,” Hallett said. “That’s what good teams do. They did what they were supposed to do. I was excited that we didn’t just fold our tent.”

Donald Gillespie’s home run in the bottom of the inning was Flora’s only offense in the frame. Though it was not the three runs Hallett hoped for, it was enough to “change the energy,” the coach said.

The Falcons are 2-0 in the Forest Acres Classic, which continues through Thursday.

This story was originally published March 31, 2015 at 10:38 PM with the headline "A.C. Flora baseball rallies from early hole at Forest Acres Classic."