BROOKSVILLE – Pierce Kimbrough did what he could to stay even in a pitchers’ duel, and when a few tough breaks defensively cost him, his catcher Tyson Libengood came through in the clutch.
The result was a 2-1 come-from-behind victory over Springstead Thursday night at a chilly Emerson Field.
“The battery tonight was the difference, both of them,” Hernando head coach Tim Sims said.
Despite the fact that the Leopards (4-2) and Eagles (5-2) do not share a district, the high level of pride involved was evident considering both teams sent an ace left-hander to the mound.
The senior Kimbrough was making his third appearance and second start of the young season, coming in 0-1 with a 0.00 earned run average after going 3-2 with a 1.56 ERA as a junior.
Against Springstead he went the distance, scattering five singles and three walks over seven innings while striking out six.
“Pierce was hitting his spots,” Libengood said. “They moved up on the plate and he was still hitting his spots, and that’s all you can ask for from a pitcher. He was on the money.”
Considering the Eagles entered the night averaging 5.7 runs per game, Kimbrough’s performance was all the more impressive.
“The definition of a crafty lefty,” Sims said. “He adds and subtracts and locates, and he did a great job on a tough lineup. The way those guys have been tearing the cover off the ball the first two weeks and the people that they’ve been beating; this game tonight started with Pierce. He did a great job.”
After matching zeroes with Springstead’s Noah Siem through the first five frames, Kimbrough gave up a one-out single to Joey DelGatto on a hard liner up the middle nearly snagged on a dive by second baseman Cameron Price.
Brett Maharaj followed with grounder that went through the third baseman’s legs for an error, and both runners moved up on a wild pitch.
That’s when Siem helped his own cause by looping a single into right field for a run batted in and advanced to second on the throw home. However, with two runners in scoring position Kimbrough bore down for a strikeout, then made a nice play on a comebacker to avoid further damage.
“I just focused on hitting the mitt and hitting my spots and got out of it,” Kimbrough said. “My defense made plays. It was just an all-around good team win.”
“Kimbrough never flinched, didn’t get in a hurry,” Sims said. “That’s what you want to see in a senior pitcher, and we’ve got a few of them and he did a good job doing it.”
That escape proved pivotal in the bottom half, when the Leopards took advantage of several defensive miscues to mount a rally.
A walk to Logan Flood with one out, an errant pickoff and a passed ball allowed the tying run to score when Tyler Skipper hit a grounder that was booted by the shortstop.
Libengood stepped into the box with two outs and went the other way lining a single into right to put the hosts on top.
“I just kept on fouling it off,” Libengood said. “I was trying to get a good pitch. They were all in the dirt, they were everywhere, but I was just trying to get the perfect one. Finally I just stayed through it, kept it closed off and it just worked out good for me.”
Also a senior, Libengood was 0-for-1 with a walk up to that point, and had hit .438 over the first five games with five RBI.
“He’s been very, very productive at the plate for us,” Sims said. “He’s picking up the breaking ball great and laying off of it right now. He’s seeing the ball well and he’s not swinging, so they’re having to come in there to him and he’s not missing it right now.
“Playing football the whole fall, he’s just getting his catching legs under him. Boxing up pitches in the dirt that we’re calling; he’s got to play that way in order for Pierce to pitch that type game where Pierce is comfortable like he’s throwing against a wall, and he did.”
Kimbrough worked around a two-out free pass in the top of the seventh to send the county-rival Eagles home with a tough loss. The final out was recorded on a nice catch in center by Flood, whose defense Kimbrough pointed to as a key factor.
“I think we all played a good game and it’s just always good to beat Springstead,” Kimbrough said.
Siem threw well, giving up the two unearned runs on two hits and two walks with six strikeouts in 5 1/3 innings of work. But in the end, Kimbrough got the better of the matchup.
“I went to elementary school with him at Chocachatti and then middle school at Challenger,” Kimbrough said. “It’s just we’re at different high schools now, but I know him and we both know we’re good pitchers, and it was fun to play against him. Because I don’t think I’ve faced him ever.
“He pitched a great game. It just came down to a couple plays and a couple I guess went in our favor, and we had a big hit in the end by Tyson, so that was big.”
Follow Chris Bernhardt Jr. on Twitter @cpbernhardtjr.