Prep Baseball: Bulldogs come back to beat Murphysboro for sixth straight regional title

Saturday's regional championship tilt between Harrisburg and Murphysboro had more twists and turns than episode of Days Of Our Lives.

The soap-opera turned baseball game had everything one could hope for, but like any plot, the climax at the end left one feeling the agony of the defeat and the other embracing the thrill of victory.

Spoils went to Harrisburg (23-12) as Sykes Thompson provided the dagger with a walk-off single in the bottom of the seventh as the Bulldogs came-from-behind to beat Muphysboro 3-2, winning the Class 2A Regional.

Harrisburg head coach Jay Thompson didn't have much in regards for words of wisdom for his Bulldogs, who trailed 2-1 going into the bottom of the seventh. His message was pretty simple.

" I just said, 'hey, this is it. We just need one base runner, if we get one base runner we have a chance."

Bryce Emery gave Harrisburg that chance with a lead off rocket to third base and that was followed by a perfectly executed sacrifice bunt by Aaron Johnson down the first base line that allowed Emery to move up a base.

Britton Riden followed with a smoked double to left field that scored Emery from second and after Murphysboro (12-19) intentionally walked Matthew Phipps, Sykes Thompson came through with base knock that scored Tyler Sullivan, who was pinch running for Riden for the game winner.

"We stayed in there and kept battling," Thompson said. "We hit some balls early, but couldn't find a hole. The little things that you hope your team can do paid off for us today. We got a lead off base hit, we made a good sacrifice bunt and we battled at the plate.

"Riden's first at bat today was a tough one for him. I talked to him in-between innings and told him, 'look, they're going to pitch you away and you have to go up there looking away.' They did and he hit a long ball down there. A lot of kids deserve an awful lot of credit."

For all that went right for Harrisburg - including a game-saving triple play in the top of the sixth inning - plenty went wrong for the Bulldogs.

The first two innings were not kind to Harrisburg as a wild pitch by Bulldog starter Matthew Phipps, set up the first run of the game and then on offense, Harrisburg hit into a line drive double play in the first and followed with a strike-em-out, throw-em-out in the second virtually killing any chance of scoring in the early going.

The Bulldogs fortunes changed in the third when Bryce Emery led off with a single, moved to second on another sac-bunt by Johnson and following a strikeout by Riden, Phipps helped out his own cause with a bullet to left field for a ground rule double, scoring Emery and Harrisburg's first run of the game.

In the sixth, Murphysboro broke the 1-1 tie when Landen Harris led off with a walk and that was followed by a Matt Burke single into right field. Justin Pulcher then put down a sac-bunt, but Phipps tried to make the play at third to get Harris. The result was an errant throw by Phipps that allowed Harris to score. Still threatening and with the bases loaded after Daryl Murphy was intentionally walked, Braden Miller hit a pop up to center field.

Harrisburg's Austin Hefner came up throwing, catching Brandon Graff in-between third and home as Johnson ran him down to make the tag, Johnson then threw to first to get Harris, who was also in-between bases and Cooper Thompson thew to his brother Sykes at second to get Pulcher for the triple play.

Murphysboro head coach Bruce Basel said his guys just got caught up looking in what was going on.

"In the poker world I guess they call that leaving money on the table. I guess that's what we did. We just didn't close it out," he said. "We had our opportunities. We competed and played hard. We just didn't close the door when we had the opportunity and if you do that in any game of the regional, but especially the regional championship game, then you're going to end up a little bit short. That's what happened to us."

Thompson commended his guys - if for nothing else - not getting caught up in what was going on.

"The big thing was, I'm so proud of Hefner and he's struggled with making that throw from centerfield all year and he made a perfect throw," Thompson said. "Then the bigger part of that was that our guys kept playing. Our other guys had their heads up, talking and next thing you know we got a triple play. That was a very bizarre triple play, but because we stayed alert and kept playing, it happened."

Miller suffered the tough luck loss for Muphysboro, going the distance, allowing three runs on eight hits, while striking five and walking three.

Phipps got the win for Harrisburg, who advance to the sectionals for the sixth straight season. The senior right hander, who will play his college play in Olney, also went the distance, allowing two runs on four hits, while striking out five and walking three.

"Matthew has pitched so well for us. He did a great job," Thompson said. "The wild pitch in the first inning allowed them to score a run and then he knew as soon as turned and threw that ball to third base he made a mistake, but you know, so maybe he made two mistakes out of throwing the ball 100 times. He is very terrific and keeps us in games."

Dylan Brasel and Brandon Brock all went 1-for-3, while Landen Harris and Matt Burke each went 1-for-2.

Phipps, Emery, Riden and Sykes Thompson all had two hits on the day, while Carson Batts had a lead off single in the fifth.

Harrisburg won their sixth straight regional title and have now won 14 regionals in the last 15 years. The Bulldogs have now won 20-plus games for the 22nd straight season.

The Bulldogs now face Du Quoin in the Nashville Sectional Tuesday at 4:30 p.m.

Last season, Harrisburg lost to Chester 7-6 in the Harrisburg Sectional, falling in the sectional semifinals for the fourth straight year.

Michael Dann covers prep and college sports for the Harrisburg Daily Register. Follow him on Twitter: @spydieshooter.