Two excellent high school hurlers at opposite ends of their career locked horns this afternoon on the Gladiator diamond and each one clearly brought his A game. But the issue was decided in the bottom of the third inning when a pair of senior team-leaders each made a heads up (or in one case a "head first") play that helped the Big Red plate the two winning runs. As a result of the two awesome pitching efforts, the game only took about 1:20 to play and with the win, the Gladiators are off to Salem Friday morning for the state semi-finals.
This was a 3;00 game because there are no lights at Riverheads and I believe the other three quarter-final games are going on as we speak. If I understand the brackets correctly, RHS will now play the winner of the Auburn/Patrick Henry game at 11:30 Friday. But since our PA announcer said "at a time to be determined" as the field was clearing, please watch and listen for confirmation on both the time and opponent. Don't take my word for it.
The two pitchers today were RHS freshman Jackson Berkstresser and Red Devil senior Trevor Pittman. Each went the distance as Berk picked up the win of his life, whereas Pittman clearly had his stuff working as well in what turned out to be his final high school game.
Obviously each one kept his poise and never gave up a big inning. I don't keep strikeouts or hits but I would say neither had more than six to eight KO's and there were very few walks. Instead each team made frequent contact with the ball and kept one another's fielders quite busy. Each team was efficient in that department as well as there were no plays that I can recall that looked like an error. It was just an all-around well-played game that started early and was over by around 4:15. That gave the Lancaster fans ample time to make it out to Buffalo Gap for their softball quarter-final, which is likely wrapping up about now.
The Big Red pushed across their two runs, thanks to a pair of somewhat freakish hits by a pair of seniors, Brody Phillips and Ethan Mulcahy. Phillips hit a soft grounder to the second baseman that looked like an easy out. But it was just enough of a slow roller to allow him to beat it out. However, he made a last-second decision to dive across the first base bag head-first.
He was ruled safe on the play and Mulcahy, who probably had the best game of his career today, was next in line at the plate. He hit one over the third baseman's head that looked as if it might curve foul. But it stayed fair and by the time it landed, Phillips had rounded second and headed for third. The third baseman had just enough trouble trying to catch up to the ball, so Phillips used his speed to keep going for the first run of the day. Moments later, Mulcahy came home on a fielder's choice for the second Big Red run.
Following that Gladiator at bat, the next two innings must have been heartbreaking for Devil fans. In the top of the fourth, three of their heavy hitters sent fly balls deep into the outfield. However, each one of them found a Big Red glove waiting, including a Mulcahy catch in left that looked mighty close to the fence from my vantage point. He was the busiest fielder in the game today as he hauled in at least three other deep ones, in addition to a two-hit day at the plate.
Then in the fifth, Lancaster freshman Tucker Braly led off the inning with the Devils' most solid hit of the day, a double to straightaway center that rolled all the way to the fence. With nobody out, the Devils had their best chance of the day to score, but Berk bore down and got out of the inning with Braly still standing at second. The final two innings then went quietly for each team.
As mentioned, each pitcher went the distance and stayed within the desired 15 pitch per inning limit. Pittman tossed 76 pitches in his six frames of work and Berk needed only 80 pitches to retire the Devils in their seven at-bats.
Hats off to both teams for an extremely well-played game with very little controversy. So let's sit back and see which other teams will join the Big Red down in Salem Friday. All three of those games should be wrapping up here shortly, since I was told they all had 6:00 first pitches.
This was a 3;00 game because there are no lights at Riverheads and I believe the other three quarter-final games are going on as we speak. If I understand the brackets correctly, RHS will now play the winner of the Auburn/Patrick Henry game at 11:30 Friday. But since our PA announcer said "at a time to be determined" as the field was clearing, please watch and listen for confirmation on both the time and opponent. Don't take my word for it.
The two pitchers today were RHS freshman Jackson Berkstresser and Red Devil senior Trevor Pittman. Each went the distance as Berk picked up the win of his life, whereas Pittman clearly had his stuff working as well in what turned out to be his final high school game.
Obviously each one kept his poise and never gave up a big inning. I don't keep strikeouts or hits but I would say neither had more than six to eight KO's and there were very few walks. Instead each team made frequent contact with the ball and kept one another's fielders quite busy. Each team was efficient in that department as well as there were no plays that I can recall that looked like an error. It was just an all-around well-played game that started early and was over by around 4:15. That gave the Lancaster fans ample time to make it out to Buffalo Gap for their softball quarter-final, which is likely wrapping up about now.
The Big Red pushed across their two runs, thanks to a pair of somewhat freakish hits by a pair of seniors, Brody Phillips and Ethan Mulcahy. Phillips hit a soft grounder to the second baseman that looked like an easy out. But it was just enough of a slow roller to allow him to beat it out. However, he made a last-second decision to dive across the first base bag head-first.
He was ruled safe on the play and Mulcahy, who probably had the best game of his career today, was next in line at the plate. He hit one over the third baseman's head that looked as if it might curve foul. But it stayed fair and by the time it landed, Phillips had rounded second and headed for third. The third baseman had just enough trouble trying to catch up to the ball, so Phillips used his speed to keep going for the first run of the day. Moments later, Mulcahy came home on a fielder's choice for the second Big Red run.
Following that Gladiator at bat, the next two innings must have been heartbreaking for Devil fans. In the top of the fourth, three of their heavy hitters sent fly balls deep into the outfield. However, each one of them found a Big Red glove waiting, including a Mulcahy catch in left that looked mighty close to the fence from my vantage point. He was the busiest fielder in the game today as he hauled in at least three other deep ones, in addition to a two-hit day at the plate.
Then in the fifth, Lancaster freshman Tucker Braly led off the inning with the Devils' most solid hit of the day, a double to straightaway center that rolled all the way to the fence. With nobody out, the Devils had their best chance of the day to score, but Berk bore down and got out of the inning with Braly still standing at second. The final two innings then went quietly for each team.
As mentioned, each pitcher went the distance and stayed within the desired 15 pitch per inning limit. Pittman tossed 76 pitches in his six frames of work and Berk needed only 80 pitches to retire the Devils in their seven at-bats.
Hats off to both teams for an extremely well-played game with very little controversy. So let's sit back and see which other teams will join the Big Red down in Salem Friday. All three of those games should be wrapping up here shortly, since I was told they all had 6:00 first pitches.