Baseball: Simeon tops Jackie Robinson South-rival Jones

Updated: April 27, 2012 7:55PM

Simeon took advantage of Jones errors and the strong arm of pitcher Terrance Robertson to stay atop the Jackie Robinson South with a 7-2 victory on Friday.

The Wolverines (17-6, 7-1) used a four-run second inning to gather the win.

‘‘Good teams take advantage of errors,’’ Simeon assistant coach Robert Fletcher said. ‘‘We’ve had some losses where good teams took advantage of our errors. You can’t give up extra outs and win.’’

Head coach Leroy Franklin was out of town for a funeral and Fletcher took over running the show.

Trailing 2-0, Darius Day and Darien Clifton started the second with a pair of singles. Elbert Dunnigan drove Day home with a sacrifice fly to right. Robert Fletcher Jr. then reached on an error and Robertson drove home a run on a groundout which would’ve been the third out of the inning.

Jones pitcher Matthew Lipman hit consecutive batters and Corey Ray made him pay with a line shot double to the left-center gap that drove in two more runs. Ray also drove in a run with a sacrifice fly later in the game.

‘‘He kept pounding me to the outside and I had a couple of bad hacks at it,’’ Ray said. ‘‘I made the adjustment to let the ball get deeper and take it the other way.’’

Ray was batting in the third spot for Blake Hickman, who has missed 10 games after taking a ball to the throat three weeks ago. The Wolverines have gone 7-3 in his absence. Hickman is expected back Monday for the second game in the home-and-home series with Jones (14-8, 5-4).

Robertson (3-3) is only a freshman but pitched like a senior after giving up two runs in the second inning. Floyd Sumrall belted a triple down the right-field line that drove in Max Puidak who was on with a lead-off walk. Sumrall came around to score on an RBI groundout by Jordan Jackson. Sumrall had the only hit of the game off Robertson.

‘‘I’m in my comfort zone playing on the varsity,’’ Robertson said. ‘‘I just kept throwing strikes and let my defense work behind me.’’

The Wolverines defense was stellar with no errors while Robertson struck out nine while allowing three walks.

Marshawn Lynch reached base safely three times with two hit-by-pitches and a single. Ronnell Coleman reached base three times and had three stolen bases for the Wolverines.

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