Eagles go back to state

Seymour centerfielder Matt Pryor was one of the last people standing between a dramatic end to the Eagles’ baseball team’s season and a trip to Memphis to play for a state championship. With his team clutching a two-run lead with two outs and the bases loaded in the bottom of the seventh, Pryor looked down through the infield and heard an impressive gathering of Seymour fans who had made the trip to Rutledge fall as silent as a Sunday church service and then erupt in jubilation as senior pitcher Todd Sanzo registered his 11th strikeout of the game. Sanzo’s pitch sealed a 5-3 sectional victory over the Rutledge Pioneers and Seymour’s second state tournament berth in three years. “I was praying between every pitch,” said Pryor, who was a freshman on the last Eagles squad to make it to state tournament in 2001. “I was so nervous. I had confidence that Todd would get it done but I was preparing myself for anything.” Pryor led the Eagles at the plate with a 2-3 night that included a triple, a single and a run scored. Senior Adam Gossett, sporting a new jersey and number, contributed a single and a double and scored a run. Sanzo made his first appearance since beating Gibbs in the district semi-finals and was steady throughout, allowing just five hits while walking two. The first sign of trouble came for Sanzo in the final inning when the Rutledge leadoff hitter reached on a Seymour throwing error and a one-out walk brought the tying run to the plate. That also brought pitching coach Robert Curry to the mound to try and get a feel for what his pitcher was thinking. “He’s (Sanzo) come on in a closing role for most of the season so he’s used to those types of situations,” Curry stated after the game. “He’s relaxed and he’s got that kind of mentality. I wasn’t about to pull him out after he had gotten us that far.” After Curry returned to the Seymour dugout, Sanzo gave up a single to centerfield to load the bases with one out. The next Pioneer batter hit a pop fly to right field, bringing everyone to their feet awaiting the third out that would take the Eagles to Memphis. Sanzo sent the Pioneer’s last chance down swinging, as every Seymour player rushed to the mound in a frenzy to congratulate the cool right hander who had delivered under the highest of pressure. “He made me proud,” said Curry. “He’s throwing so good right now and I knew that he could get the job done, but man what a game. When one of our guys are out there on the mound, I’m right there with them during every pitch, and that goes for every one of our guys. But he made me proud tonight. He pitched a great game.” Seymour Head Coach Brian McCord, who was an assistant on the last Eagles squad to make a state tournament appearance, feels that because of the team’s pitching rotation, they have a legitimate shot at bringing home the school’s first baseball state title. They finished third runner-up in 2001. “We’ve got a shot in Memphis, we’ve got a shot,” said a jubilant McCord following the game. “We have a better feel for what’s going on with Nick (Manis). And with Todd and Kevin pitching the way they are, we can beat anybody. We have a shot. McCord said that Manis is trying to work around a bone spur in his throwing arm but will be available during the state tournament. Rutledge got on the board first in the sectional contest by way of a Seymour error in the bottom of the first inning. Seymour tied it up in the second on an Aaron Lambert RBI and took their first lead when Chad Isbell sacrificed to second to score Zack Smith. Sophomore second baseman Andy Bass then hit a two-out single to left field to make the Seymour lead 3-1. Rutledge added a run in the bottom of the second on a two-out RBI single. Seymour tallied again in the top of the third when Gossett reached on a triple to the gap in centerfield and came in to score when the Pioneer throw to third was off target. Pryor scored later in the inning when Manis hit into another Rutledge error, making it 5-2.