Southern-B's 19th-ranked baseball team is 1-for-4 in games against No. 17 Patterson this year, which isn't bad considering the Bulldogs' lone victory put an end to the Clippers' season.
The win at second seed Patterson (15-6) came by 8-2 in yesterday's 4A North Region semifinal against Clippers' ace Mike Burrows (7-1).
Third seed Southern (15-6) used a four-hit, six-run seventh inning -- including two of three Clippers' errors -- to break a 2-2 tie, earning the right to face top seed Perry Hall, a 12-2 winner over Mervo in the other semifinal.
Southern faces Perry Hall at Dundalk Community College today at 2 p.m.
"Today, finally we catch a break and get a few hits to put theaway," said coach Bill Parker, whose Bulldogs had lost this year by 14-8, 16-2 and 3-2 to Patterson.
"Give the credit to [pitcher] James Benton. He kept us in the game."
Benton (6-3), an All-City player last season, walked four batters, yielded five hits and struck out seven others -- including Burrows for the game's final out.
"I pitched when they blew us away 16-2. I went five innings and had a real rough day, but today everybody contributed and played good defense," said Benton.
"It feels good because I've been on varsity for three years and I don't think we've beaten them once before today. It's about time we got revenge."
Southern led, 1-0, after Jimmy Loetz walked, stole second and took two bases on a throwing error that got Jason Peters at first base.
But the Clippers went up, 2-1, on third-inning singles by All-City -- shortstop Earl Smith and Burrows, who allowed seven hits and struck out five with a walk.
Southern tied the game after Mike Hartlove doubled, then scored on a single by Mike Colefelice, setting up the Bulldogs' big seventh inning.
The Bulldogs had a permanent lead, 3-2, after Peters -- wh singled to start the seventh -- scored on a throwing error by the first baseman.
But it was Ken Tolodziecki's bases-loaded, two-run double -- after Patterson coach Roger Wrenn's intentional walk of No. 9 batter Colefelice -- that appeared to be the game's real turning point.
What followed were a run-scoring single by Dave Schoppert for a 6-2 lead and a two-run single by Benton for the winning margin.
"I didn't intentional walk to get to him [Tolodziecki] because I knew he was a better hitter than the No. 9 hitter," Wrenn said. "I was thinking we needed to set up the force out at the plate. I still think that was the right thing to do in that situation, but sometimes strategies backfire."
For Tolodziecki, who had struck out, flied out and hit into a fielder's choice out in his three previous at-bats, the victory was a long time coming.
"I hadn't beaten them since junior varsity three years ago," Tolodziecki said. "This feels great."
Wrenn, whose Clippers were champs in the city's 4A League, said: "It's tough to beat a good team four times in a season."
"But the credit goes to Southern. They worked hard to make their own breaks today."