Kevin Barham provided a perfect example of how cruel and euphoric the sport of baseball can be, all in a matter of one early-spring evening.
The sophomore started on the mound, and though he did fan six batters, he walked five others and lasted just 3 2/3 innings, departing with his team trailing 3-1.
The Seminoles got great relief work from Ndiayemon Harrison (2 1/3 IP, 1 H) and Yorel James (3 IP, 4 H, 4 K) and were able to rally. While Lanier didn't get a runner to second base after the fourth, Salem got a run in the fifth on a hit batsman and two errors - one the physical kind and the other when on a routing grounder to first, Cole Dudley couldn't decide whether to try and nail Harrison, who was about halfway between third and home, at the plate, or get the out at first (he got neither). Down to their last two outs in the seventh, Harrison reached on another error and scored on Jason Howell's sacrifice fly to save the Seminoles and tie the game at 3-3.
I haven't yet gotten to Barham's day at the plate. He struck out in each of his first two plate appearances, then popped up to the catcher on a drag bunt attempt in PA No. 3. Barham did lay down a nice sacrifice in the eighth, but that rally never materialized. The night finally belonged to Barham in the home half of the ninth. After (guess who?) Harrison led off the frame with a single, and a walk to Howell and Akil Baddoo's bunt single loaded the bases, James couldn't come through when his grounder forced Harrison at the plate.
All was forgotten two pitches later when Barham hit a flare over second base that chased home Howell with the winning run. Great ending to a wild night for Barham and the Seminoles.
“We had an opportunity and (Barham) took advantage of it,” Salem coach Bobby Link said afterwards.
The Conyers, Georgia school is trying to turn its program around after missing the state playoffs in each of the last four seasons. Link's in his first year in the Salem dugout and he may be the guy to do it. Not only are the Seminoles 7-2 and 2-0 in Region 8-AAAAA after completing the season sweep of Lanier, but I've watched Salem play games just like Wednesday several times over the past four or five years and they seemed to always find a way to lose them.
Not tonight, and after a tough start, Barham turned out to be a big reason why.
“It’s a team effort," Link said. "The kids right now are working their tails off, they really want to be successful. Everybody’s contributing, everybody’s doing a job.”
Final thoughts...
* I covered Salem back on February 27 and we added just one Webb Bobo All Star (Jonesboro's Thominique Stroy). My apologies to Salem's Akil Baddoo, who is now the newest member of the team.
* The Lanier side of the bleachers was what I like to call not quite a capacity crowd:
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