Ridgeland High players dog pile on each other
after
winning
the 2008 Dizzy
Dean
World
Series 12-2 over
New Hope,
Monday at Dudy Noble Field at Mississippi State University
By DAVID MILLER
Starkville Daily News
Ridgeland High entered the 2008 Dizzy Dean World Series as a favorite and left as champions Monday, putting together a thorough performance in a 12-2 rout of New Hope High at Dudy Noble Field.
The Titans finished the W.S. 6-1, with their lone loss coming to Starkville Academy. Saturday’s loss to the Vols did little to slow down RHS’ momentum after posting a pair of 10-6 wins over Saltillo and Wayne County on Sunday.
Playing with the swagger of a championship team, the Titans dominated in every phase of the contest, getting a complete game from pitcher Blake Boleware, who gave up two runs on three hits. Boleware carried a no-hitter into the sixth inning.
Ridgeland took little time making their case for World Series champions, batting around the lineup in the first inning and slapping any pitch that came across the plate. New Hope starting pitcher Frank Richardson retired the first RHS batter before a triple to right from Daniel Gilbert scored Hunter Twitty. Stephen Joe followed with an RBI single before Jake Estes and Nick Gibert were walked. Ricky Kennedy then delivered an RBI single before Gibert scored on an error.
Down 5-0, New Hope replaced Richardson with Derrick Saucer, who got out of the jam by striking out Jarrett Jenkins. Saucer ended up pitching 5 2/3 innings and giving up four runs on seven hits.
The Trojans went three up, three down to start the first three innings, but batting was the least of their worries Monday. Fielding miscues cost the Trojans two runs in the third, as they committed five over the first three innings.
Former Mississippi State player and current Ridgeland High head coach Jerry Dupuy had his team dialed in for the Dizzy Dean summer finale, holding New Hope hitless and scoreless over the first five innings. Dupuy, who played at MSU from 1993-94, was ecstatic to win the championship in the same stadium he once played in.
"It's exciting and it's kind of a homecoming for me," Dupuy said. "I haven't been back in a few years, so to come back with a relatively young club and win the title means a lot to me. We used it as a coming out party. We pitched well, played great defense and got some timely hitting. We are going to build on this."
RHS pitcher Blake Boleware had a perfect game broken up in the fourth when New Hope’s Jake Smith drew a walk.
Boleware’s no-no and shut-out was broken up in the sixth when Davis Lee legged out a single to score Richardson from third. Despite flirting with the no-hitter for five innings, Boleware said he tried to block the thought out of his head. "I was just trying to focus on getting ahead in the count and relying on my defense," Boleware said. "I was doing my best not to think about it, get ground balls and get back to the dug out."
"There was some revenge there," Boleware said beaming. "I think it was something we all had in our minds a bit."
Gilbert led the Titans at the plate, going 2-5 with a triple and an RBI.
Ridgeland tacked on three more runs over the final two innings before sealing its 2008 Dizzy Dean World Series title.
Notes: New Hope had eight errors, while Ridgeland committed two. RHS' Stephen Joe was named MVP of the Dizzy Dean World Series.
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