Crown Wins Fifth Straight

Playing their toughest competition of the year, Crown loaded the based in four of their six offensive innings, and won 7-3. Along with Casey, Will was once again the most productive offensive player on the team. He was the only player to reach base three times. He also stole a base and scored a run.

After Andrew retired the opposing CHS in order in the top of the first, the first three Crown hitters scored in the bottom of the inning. The first pitch of the game hit leadoff batter Patrick. Will followed with an infield single, then he stole second. Braeden’s chopper through the hole into left field plated Patrick, while Will was held at third. Perry was hit, loading the bases. Will scored on Sam’s fielder’s choice, then Braeden scored on an error.

In the bottom of the second Will walked with nobody out, loading the bases for the second straight inning. But Crown did not score: after Braeden struck out Perry with into a 6-4-3 double play. Will almost broke up the twin-killing, creating an incident by sliding hard into second baseman making the turn…causing the second-sacker to turn a flip. Then the shortstop pushed Will. Will pushed past his opponent, saying “that’s baseball!”

In the fifth inning Will walked again, and again Crown loaded the bases. But Perry popped out and Adam grounded out, and the Knights were only able to score one insurance run.

Playing third base and shortstop, Will got two balls hit his way. He went to his knees to catch a line drive, and almost made a great play cutting off a slow roller to his left.

Will: 1-2, SB, run, two BB…5

Casey: 2-2, RBI, 2 SB…5

Eric: 1-4, SB, 2 RBI…4

Braeden: 1-3, run, RBI, BB…4

Patrick: 0-3, run, HBP, 2 SB…4

Ryan: RBI, HBP, BB…3

Ray: 1-2, run, HBP…3

Sam: 0-1, RBI, run, BB…3

Charlie: 1-2, run…2

Franklin: 1-2, run…2

Andrew: 0-1, SB…1

Perry: 0-3, HBP…1

Adam: 0-2…0

Other interesting tidbits:

While Perry turned away from a pitch and was hit in his back, Patrick, Ray, and Ryan made less effort to get out of the way of pitches that hit them. That made it hard to argue when a CHS batter leaned across the plate to let a curveball hit him.

Franklin had back-to-back lapses: in a critical bases-loaded situation he was almost too nonchalant fielding a slow roller, when while lob to first barely beat the runner to end the inning. The leading off the bottom of the inning, Franklin hit a fly ball deep into the right field corner. As he ran to first the play was right in front of him, so both he and rookie first base coach Tanner should’ve known it was an easy double…but Franklin stopped at first. Later Ray didn’t run hard, and was thrown out at second.

For a veteran team with good pitchers, Christian Heritage did a poor job of fielding: I scored six errors. One slow grounder rolled past the pitcher, first-baseman, AND second-baseman when no one could decide who should field the ball and who should cover the base. Earlier the first-baseman couldn’t catch a Perry’s high pop in foul territory. Adam hit a slow grounder to the second-baseman, and the fielder chose to try to get the out at second. His throw was late, but he could’ve easily gotten the out at first.

All thirteen Knights reached base, either by a hit, walk, HBP, fielder’s choice, or error. The seven runs were scored by seven different players.

Originally scheduled to be a doubleheader, Christian Heritage begged out of the second game, perhaps due to a lack of pitching.

This weekend Will is going to be busy, playing back-to-back doubleheaders late Friday afternoon and early Saturday morning in Macon. With catcher Patrick missing the Saturday games, Will is scheduled to pitch Friday, then catch the Saturday doubleheader.