Friday night Will pitched his best game ever, striking out 11 batters in 4-2/3 innings. The Titans played at Sandy Plains Park, against the Prowlers, their top Pony travel team. Many of the Titans played with the Prowlers last year and attend the same schools, so both teams wanted to win bad. Even with a doubleheader scheduled for the next morning, Titans Coach Dore penciled in his best two pitchers: Plemmons and Murphy. The Prowlers countered with their best, lefty Tyler Seaman.
The Titans came out of the gate strong in the top of the first, scoring six runs in the top of the first. But five of the runs were unearned, and I knew this was to be a tough game. Plemmons allowed just one run in the bottom of the first, but it came when Seaman’s long line drive hit the right-centerfield fence in the air.
After Seaman held the Titans scoreless in the second, Plemmons ran into trouble with the bottom of the Prowlers order…walking four and allowing a single. All five of these runners scored. Will was brought in to pitch with one out and struck out 2 batters to end the inning, but only after Seaman’s two-out popup landed in between three Titan fielders. Sandy Plains now led 7 – 6.
Seaman continued to shut down the Titans, striking out 7 of the 23 batters he faced in his 4 innings on the mound. He walked four and allowed four hits, but just one of the seven runs he allowed was earned. Of his 94 pitches, 60.6% were strikes. But two more Prowler errors allowed the Titans to tie the game in the fourth.
But Will’s even more dominant pitching turned the momentum the Titans’ way, striking out the side the next 2 innings…5 in a row, and 4 straight looking.
In the top of the fifth the wind began to blow and sky thundered, and we could feel a drop or two of rain. Would this fine game a washed out? With one out Will fouled off a couple of pitches to work the count full, then took ball four to draw a walk. Will took second on a wild pitch, but Bryce’s fly to center was caught for the second out. Chris then singled up the middle, and the centerfielder charged the ball and fired home as Will rounded third and raced home. The throw was just off the mark, and Will slid in safely with the go ahead run.
Seaman led off the bottom of the fifth, and Will’s first two pitches were strikes. But then Seaman was able to hit a grounder just under the first-baseman’s glove into right-field for a single. It would be the only real hit that Will would allow. The big cleanup hitter then worked the count full, but Will got him to go down swinging for the first out. Seaman had advanced to second on a passed ball, but when he tried to stead third he was tagged out on a close play. The next batter had hit 4 home runs last year in a Cooperstown game, but this time could only pop out weakly to the first baseman in foul territory.
After a scoreless top half, Will continued his dominance in the bottom of the sixth. He struck out the first batter and got the second to dribble weakly to first, then struck out the third batter to finish the game.
It was undoubtedly Will’s finest pitching performance, besting his three perfect innings in Roswell earlier this year. He faced 18 batters in 4-2/3 innings, striking out 11 and walking none. Of his 73 pitches, 71% were strikes. No balls were hit hard off him.
But it never rained, at least not at our house.
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