Falcons clinch SCISA Region 1-3A title
Baseball • April 25, 2008
By George Kaupp

Photos by Elizabeth Bailey Johnson Ben Lippen pitcher Colby Edwards started for the Falcons, but had to leave the game in the second inning due to an injury.

Three Ben Lippen pitchers combined on a five- hitter and six Falcons had at least one hit as Ben Lippen defeated Cardinal Newman 12- 0 on Friday, April 25 to clinch the SCISA Region 1- AAA baseball championship.

The Falcons (19- 5) came into the game with a 7- 2 region record, one- half game ahead of both Hammond and Augusta Christian. Had the Cardinals pulled the upset, there would have been a three- way tie for the region championship. But the Falcons picked up where they left off against the Cardinals three weeks prior, shutting out the Cardinal offense that had scored 27 runs in its last two games.

Colby Edwards started the game for the Falcons, but had to leave in the second inning when he apparently twisted his knee making a pitch. Justin Norris (8- 0) relieved him and continued his dominance against Cardinal Newman, not giving up a hit until the fourth, the first hit he had allowed against the Cardinals in seven innings.

Cardinal Newman catcher Michael Bolchoz tries to throw out a runner.

Offensively, the Falcons scored two unearned runs in the first inning on errant throw by the Cardinals. The Falcons scored twice again in the second off Cardinal starter Mark Greenwood (4- 8), this time with a walk, two singles, and a sacrifice fly. After Greenwood got the middle of the lineup in order in the third, Ben Lippen scored three more times in the fourth, the first on a double by right fielder Joey Carter, and then two on a throwing error by Cardinal Newman's Greg Regan, who was trying to double a runner off of third on a failed squeeze attempt. The Falcons scored twice in the fifth and three times in the sixth to cap the scoring.

Cardinal Newman (6- 19, 2- 8) got numerous runners in scoring position, including two each in the fourth and fifth innings, but went 0- for- 8 in those situations. Ben Lippen pitchers recorded nine strikeouts and six groundouts to keep the Cardinals at bay.