Ridge Manor Shows Its Own Mercy

SPRING HILL - Ridge Manor knows the 10-run mercy rule all too well. For so many years, its teams have been on the wrong side of it.

But with each victory the past two years for the long downtrodden program, it becomes more and more clear. These aren't your older brother's Ridge Manor teams anymore.

Yesterday morning at Anderson Snow Sports Complex, Ridge Manor opened the AA Rookies (age 7-8) All-Stars District 6 Tournament by thumping Sumter, 13-3 in four innings.

Manager Bryan Griffin swarmed his son Christopher at second base after his two-run double in the bottom of the fourth inning, which provided Ridge Manor with its first win via mercy rule on any level.

"He made a daddy proud," Coach Griffin said. "The team made me proud. Just to win, regardless of the 10-run rule, it's overwhelming. I'm speechless."

Running wild

After first baseman Dakota Jernigan turned a key unassisted double play on a line-out in the top of the first, Ridge Manor scored twice in the bottom half.

Tavis Drake went all the way to third when the pitcher overthrew first on his one-out grounder, and scored on a wild pitch. Griffin walked and hustled all the way to second before stealing two bases.

Sumter got one back in the third on Nathan Montgomery's infield single to the shortstop.

However, Ridge Manor tacked on more runs without the benefit of a hit in a four-run bottom of the third. Will Garland, Marrick Aske and J.T Short all walked and came around to score on a series of steals and wild pitches.

"We know stealing bases is key. It's what you have to do, be aggressive," Coach Griffin said. "And we were ready to protect it. We knew we were going to open that can of worms and they'd have to retaliate."

Finally with two away, Ridge Manor received its first hit, a solid shot into the left-center field gap off the bat of Griffin. Though Sumter managed to throw him out at home, Drake came around on the RBI triple.

In the fourth, Sumter scored twice on a pair of delayed double steals. Yet Sumter couldn't stop Ridge Manor from running around the bases.

Zack Mitchell, Ryan Linville and Will Hamlin scored on a passed ball, stolen base and wild pitch respectively. Hamlin added a RBI double and Austin Legg drove in one with a single.

Griffin ended the seven-run bottom of the fourth on his game-winning double off the leftfielder's glove. Griffin also earned the complete-game win on the mound, allowing four hits, one walk and striking out seven.

"Really good," the younger Griffin said of his feelings after the hit. "I thought it'd be pretty far.

"...It was our first game, so (the win feels) really cool."

Ridge Manor 13, Sumter 3 (4 inn.)
123 4 R H E
Sumter 001 2 -- 3 4 3
Ridge Manor 204 7 --13 6 0
SUM - Connell, Harrell (3), Posey (4) and Troller, Barkley (2).
RM - Griffin and Lineberry.
W - Griffin (1-0). L - Connell (0-1).
2B - Lineberry, Hamlin, Griffin (RM).
3B - Griffin (RM).
HR - none.
Records - Sumter (0-1), Ridge Manor (1-0).