All it took was one baserunner to rattle IMG Academy Gray starting pitcher Peyton Miller.
After that, it was all Columbia.
The Tigers struck for four runs off Miller in the third inning before scoring four more in the fourth en route to an 8-0 shutout win over the Ascenders at home Friday night. Ayden Phillips finished 2 for 3 with three RBIs while Bynton Edge drove in a pair of runs on a 2-for-3 night, but their pitching was even better, with Phillips striking out eight batters in five innings before Edge struck out four over the final two frames.
That duo held IMG Academy to just four hits as Columbia put together its most impressive performance so far this season.
“That’s the best game we’ve played all year,” Columbia coach Chris Howard said.
The Tigers (7-4) could hardly touch Miller in the first two innings, striking out five times, but they finally got to the Clemson commit when Tison McCray hit a leadoff single in the third inning.
That’s when the entire game changed.
“He didn’t like that at all,” Howard said. “You could tell a big difference in his delivery and everything.”
Miller hit Logan Brooks with a pitch two batters later and Edge then beat out a bunt single to load the bases. A passed ball allowed McCray to score before Phillips came through with a two-RBI single.
Phillips advanced to second on the throw home and courtesy runner Aulden Jenkins scored another run thanks to a couple of wild pitches from Miller, who was finally able to get out of the frame after eight batters. But his night was over.
The Ascenders (7-4) turned to Blake Kolb in the fourth but he didn’t fare much better. He walked his first two batters, who were then bunted into scoring position by Casen Maddox to set up a two-out, two-RBI single from Edge. After Edge stole second, Phillips ripped an RBI single to extend Columbia’s lead to 7-0.
“It usually is tough for me having to go from the mound and really focus on the mound to having to get into the batter’s box and focus there also,” Phillips said, “but every single time I come up with runners in scoring position I know I have to get the job done. I know I have to get those runners in.”
That was more than enough run support for Phillips, who cruised after a shaky first inning where Miller hit a one-out double. Miller advanced to third on an error but Phillips worked out of the threat with a fly ball to center field and a strikeout.
Phillips retired six more in a row after that and 11 of 12. Julian Braga knocked a leadoff double in the fifth and Phillips then issued a one-out walk, but Phillips came back with a strikeout before getting JD Westveld to pop out to first to end the threat.
“My fastball, I was pinpointing it wherever I was putting it,” Phillips said. “And Casen was stealing strikes for me. He did a great job behind the plate.”
After the Tigers added an insurance run in the fifth on Goose Lord’s RBI ground out, which chased home Trayce McKenzie after he was hit by a pitch before advancing to second on a wild pitch and stealing third, Howard opted to replace Phillips with Edge on the mound. Howard said he wanted to get Edge a couple of innings after Edge missed a start when Thursday’s game against Beachside was canceled.
Edge was ready. He struck out four of the first five batters he faced before shaking off a single and a walk in the seventh.
“Ayden was outstanding. He threw great,” Howard said. “His fast ball was good and his breaking ball was working pretty good. Bynton came in and was real sharp as well and that’s all you can ask for as a coach. If we play like that, we’ll be tough to beat.”
Phillips couldn’t agree more.
“That feels really great as a team because all season we’ve battled and got ahead early and let teams get back in the game, and finally, against a really good team, we put them away and shut them out,” Phillips said.
Columbia will be back home again Monday to face West Nassau (6-5) at 6:30 p.m. The Tigers won the first meeting this season, 4-3, in their season opener on Feb. 11.