When the going got tough, Parrott Academy right-hander Pierce Beaman simply made a better pitch than the one before.
Some hustle and stellar defensive play behind him didn’t hurt either.
Beaman worked six standout innings, maneuvered out of a couple of runner on third with nobody out jams, and earned the victory as the Patriots survived a 2-1 scare from Raleigh St. David’s Tuesday at Grainger Stadium.
“Pierce has been a solid six- or seven-inning starter for us all season,” APA coach Tyler Smith said. “Tonight he was his usual outstanding self. He threw strikes and made clutch pitches when he needed to.”
No pitches were more clutch than in the second. After the Warriors’ Chris Andrews doubled and advanced to third on an error to leadoff the frame, Beaman fanned the next two batters and then enticed Donald Cayton to pop out to right.
The Parrott defense helped bail Beaman out in the fourth and sixth.
With the bases loaded and one run already in, St. David’s Alex Park lofted a flair to shallow right. Parrott right fielder Zacchaeaus Rasberry raced in and made a diving stab to retire Park and quell the threat.
“In a tight game, those kinds of plays make all the difference,” Smith said. “The defense has to keep it clean.”
It was more of the same in the sixth.
After opposing pitcher Tom Beley led off with a stand-up triple to deep center field, Beaman uncorked a breaking pitch that bounced away from Parrott catcher John Tyer.
Beyer hesitated just briefly before breaking for home. Tyer hurried after the ball, Beaman sprinted to cover the plate, and Beyer was out by the thinnest of margins.
“Great hustle by John and Pierce on that play,” Smith said. “Both players did their job and we got the huge out.”
Hard-throwing freshman Charlie King came on in the seventh to earn the save for APA (9-3, 6-3 Eastern Plains Independent Conference).
Beaman scattered five hits and struck out six. King added a pair of strikeouts in the final inning.
Offensively, the Patriots also did quite a bit of striking out — nine times to be exact.
“Their pitcher (Beley) had a lot to do with it, but we helped him out some, too,” Smith said. “He kept us off balance and we swung at some bad pitches.”
Tyer drove in both runs for the Patriots, singling in Rasberry in the first and then driving Rasberry home again in the third with a ground out.
Rasberry had two of APA’s six hits and stole three bases.
Collis Lowe, Luke Apperson, Henry Piner, and King also managed hits for the Patriots, who travel to Henderson Kerr-Vance Academy today.
St. David’s 000 100 0—1 5 1
Parrott 101 000 x—2 6 1
T. Beley and Cayton; Beaman, King (7) and Spear. W—Beaman. L—Beley. Sv—King.
