Charlotte Catholic High baseball coach Randy Belk says there are no “unimportant games” for his team, and that’s why Wednesday’s come-from-behind 6-4 victory over Charlotte Country Day in the Jack Sink Spring Break Invitational at Myers Park was more than meets the eye.
The Cougars compete in one of North Carolina’s best high school baseball conferences – with nationally ranked Providence, perennial powers Ardrey Kell and South Mecklenburg, and much-improved Olympic.
Several “wild-card” playoff berths are available each season, and they are awarded in part on teams’ number of victories. With its tough league competition, Belk says, Catholic needs as many victories as possible to make a run for a postseason berth.
“Every win counts, and I keep telling our players that,” Belk says. “We were able to win two of three games in this tournament, and we need to get those victories wherever we can.”
On the final night of the three-day event, Catholic (9-5) seemed headed to victory over Country Day (8-5), thanks to the strong pitching of starter Paul Sloda, who limited the Buccaneers to three hits over the first five innings.
Catholic took a 2-0 lead into the top of the sixth, but three hits, a walk and a Catholic error allowed Country Day to score four times.
The Cougars appeared to be going down quietly in the bottom of the inning with two consecutive outs before they came alive.
“I give our team a lot of credit,” Belk says. “When you’re winning and it slips away like that, a lot of teams lose their oomph. Our team didn’t do that tonight.”
Belk says that will be important in coming weeks, as the Cougars return to conference play.
“We’ve lost a lot of close games this season,” he says. “Winning a game like this one can help turn it around.”
The rally started with a single from Charlie Fox, who had two hits on the evening. Then Country Day’s pitchers issued three consecutive walks and then hit a batter. That tied the score, and clean-up hitter Zack Pacious lined a two-run single for a 6-4 lead.
Country Day got two hits in the seventh, but its rally hopes were snuffed out by a double play.
The Cougars compete in one of North Carolina’s best high school baseball conferences – with nationally ranked Providence, perennial powers Ardrey Kell and South Mecklenburg, and much-improved Olympic.
Several “wild-card” playoff berths are available each season, and they are awarded in part on teams’ number of victories. With its tough league competition, Belk says, Catholic needs as many victories as possible to make a run for a postseason berth.
“Every win counts, and I keep telling our players that,” Belk says. “We were able to win two of three games in this tournament, and we need to get those victories wherever we can.”
On the final night of the three-day event, Catholic (9-5) seemed headed to victory over Country Day (8-5), thanks to the strong pitching of starter Paul Sloda, who limited the Buccaneers to three hits over the first five innings.
Catholic took a 2-0 lead into the top of the sixth, but three hits, a walk and a Catholic error allowed Country Day to score four times.
The Cougars appeared to be going down quietly in the bottom of the inning with two consecutive outs before they came alive.
“I give our team a lot of credit,” Belk says. “When you’re winning and it slips away like that, a lot of teams lose their oomph. Our team didn’t do that tonight.”
Belk says that will be important in coming weeks, as the Cougars return to conference play.
“We’ve lost a lot of close games this season,” he says. “Winning a game like this one can help turn it around.”
The rally started with a single from Charlie Fox, who had two hits on the evening. Then Country Day’s pitchers issued three consecutive walks and then hit a batter. That tied the score, and clean-up hitter Zack Pacious lined a two-run single for a 6-4 lead.
Country Day got two hits in the seventh, but its rally hopes were snuffed out by a double play.
