Headland advances with sweep; faces recent nemesis Holtville in second round (2024)

DAVID MUNDEE

HEADLAND --- Headland earned a dramatic win in its Class 5A playoff opener on Friday night then rolled to a convincing second-game win to sweep the Central of Clay County Volunteers at Sheldon Field.

The Rams edged the Vols 5-4 in eight innings, thanks in part to a gift from Central of Clay County before Wyatt Shelley’s walk-off run-scoring single. In game two, Headland scored in five of seven innings in earning a 15-2 win.

The Rams (16-11) advanced to the second round for the fourth straight year and will see a familiar foe next weekend – the Holtville Bulldogs (20-12). The teams, who will play in Holtville, will face each other for the fourth straight year in the state playoffs, the third straight year in Holtville.

The teams met in the third round last year, in the semifinals two years ago and in the second round in 2021. Holtville won all three previous series.

“We are excited to play them again,” Headland head coach Brett Birdsong said after Friday’s sweep. “Right now, we are so worried about ourselves right now and how we can get better every single day. I don’t know a ton about them, but I know they have had a good year, and they are probably like they always are -- a tough team.”

In the opener, Headland capitalized on some Central of Clay gifts to take the 5-4 extra-inning win.

After the Vols scored two in the top of the eighth to break a 2-2 tie, the Rams answered, scoring the first two runs on hit by pitches with the bases loaded to Wade Shelley and Bryce Gover, the second and third straight batters hit by Vols pitchers following a walk.

After a strikeout, Wyatt Shelley came to the plate with the bases still loaded. On a 2-2 pitch, Shelley hit a high fly ball that appeared to be a routine third out, but the ball was dropped in foul territory by the first baseman.

Given a second chance, Shelley didn’t waste it, slapping a hard liner to left for a game-winning run scoring walk-off single to score Waylon McGriff.

“I knew when he got another chance at it that there was a good chance he would come through,” Birdsong said.

The game was a pitcher duel for six innings between Headland’s Gover and Central-Clay’s Jaxson Wingo. Gover had a two-hit shutout through six and Wingo allowed only three hits and two runs, both unearned, at that juncture.

The Rams got their two runs in the third inning after two outs.

Evan Taylor drew a walk and the Vols elected to intentionally walk Wyatt Shelley. Trey Scott hit a grounder to the shortstop, who threw to second base for a force out attempt, but the second baseman was late covering the bag and Shelley was safe. As the second baseman bobbled the throw, Taylor raced to the plate and beat the throw.

Logan Ivey followed with a ground-rule double to left to score Shelley for a 2-0 lead.

The margin held until the seventh when the Vols tied it. JT Wilkerson led off with a single and Tyler Boydfollowed with double to left, putting runners at second and third. Mason Smith’sground ball out to the shortstop scored Wilkerson to cut it to 2-1. Kaiden Glenn followed with a single past a draw-in second baseman to bring in Boyd and tie it.

After retiring Headland in order in the seventh, the Vols scored twice to go ahead 4-2.

Taylor Boyd singled to open the inning, stole second and moved to third on a throwing error by the catcher and scored on a passed ball to put the Vols up 3-2. A few batters later, Wilkerson brought home Hollis Snider on a sacrifice fly to make it 4-2.

The Rams, though, battled back and won it with a three-run bottom half.

Ivey paced the Ram offense with three hits. Boyd led the Vols with two hits.

Wyatt Shelley picked up the win in relief, retiring all three batters he faced after entering in the top of the eighth inning.

In game two, Headland capitalized on 13 walks, three hit batters and eight wild pitches with nine hits, including five run scoring hits.

The Rams seized the momentum quickly with three runs in the first inning. Central of Clay, the designated home team for game two, drew close with two runs in the second, but it was Headland after that as the Rams scored four in the third and two in both the fourth and seventh innings to pull away.

Scott, the winning pitcher, went six innings, allowing just one hit and two runs, while striking out five and walking three. Collin Phillips worked the last inning, retiring three straight batters on strikeouts after allowing a lead-off walk.

Ivey had another big offensive game, earning two hits and driving in five runs. Ivey had an RBI ground out in the first inning, a run scoring single in the third and a three-run double in the seventh inning.

Mason Edwards had two hits with a run batted in, while Scott had a two-run double to spark Headland’s third-inning outburst, starting the Rams pull away from the Vols. Wade Shelley had two hits, while his brother, Wyatt, hit a solo homer. Taylor had a run-scoring single.

The two Volunteer runs came in off a throwing error during a steal and on a passed ball.

Aden Young, Central of Clay’s second hitter, had a single in the first inning for the lone Vols hit.