Chattanooga Christian's baseball Chargers showed why they practice bunting every day -- even the power hitters.
Two key bunts from unlikely sources helped lead CCS to a 3-2 home win over Upperman in their Region 4-AA semifinal matchup Monday.
"I don't think anyone bet money we would bunt Jack Bosworth and Josh Taylor in the same game," said Chargers coach Joel Johnson. "They're two of our biggest hitters and RBI machines, but we tell them at practice they all have to be able to bunt."
With his team down 2-1, Bosworth laid his bunt down after Mac Cochran reached on an error in the fifth. The sacrifice bunt attempt tiptoed down the third baseline and turned into an infield single. Jared Miller then sacrificed the runners to third and second to set the table for Matthew Mercer.
Mercer blooped a single over the shortstop to knot the game at 2.
"We have to create pressure any way we can, especially with a guy who's dealing like that," Johnson said.
In the top of the sixth, the Bees looked poised to take their third lead of the game with two straight singles and one out. Zac Mercer, who scattered five hits over six innings for the win, forced a grounder to Bosworth, who slung it to second to start a 3-6-4 double play to end the threat.
In the bottom half of the inning, Zac Mercer laced a single into left field to lead off, and cleanup hitter Taylor took his turn to bunt in an unlikely spot. He also wound up with a bunt single, and CCS had two on with no outs. After a strikeout, Bosworth was looking to swing this time around.
"I was thinking I had to put the ball in play and make something happen," Bosworth said. "I was looking fastball right down the middle."
He got it, lacing a double to the right-field wall to bring in what became the winning run. It was the first time the Chargers led in the game.
Brandon Mason picked up the save, maneuvering out of trouble in the seventh.
"We had the untimely error, and hats off to them for getting hits when they needed them," Upperman coach Jere Watson said. "We have two seniors, so I hate it for them, but we have nine juniors coming back, so hopefully we get another shot at them next year."
The teams traded runs in the second and the Bees regained the lead in the third before the Chargers answered with their runs in the fifth and sixth.
Contact Idris Garcia at sports@timesfreepress.com.