Four Strikeouts In One Inning!

Will’s fall team split a season-opening doubleheader Saturday with the Powder Springs Braves. He was the only player on either team to reach base five times, and he struck out four batters in one inning.

Will walked with two out in the bottom of Game One’s first inning. With a lefty on the mound, Will was given the steal signal on the first pitch, and he broke for second when the pitcher started his windup. But the pitcher threw to first. Picked off, Will kept running, and slid into second headfirst, just ahead of the tag. After resting a pitch, Will broke for second on the 1 – 0 pitch to Colin. Colin alertly pulled the ball, grounding it through the hole vacated by the third-baseman. Will was able to score easily.

Will had caught the scoreless top of the first, and was playing shortstop when summoned to pitch with the bases loaded and one out in the third. He got one batter to pop up into the Infield Fly Rule and struck out their starting pitcher to end the frame.

With two out and two on in the bottom of the third Will pulled a hard grounder through the hole into left to drive in John Fulton. After Colin was hit with a pitch Will advanced to third on Tanner’s grounder to short, and trotted home with the go-ahead run when the throw went to first-base.

Will pitched a nice twelve-pitch top of the fourth…striking out the leadoff hitter looking, getting the next batter to ground the first pitch to third for an easy out, then striking out the next batter looking as well.

In the fifth the next-to-the-last batter in the order walked on a full count, and he advanced to second when the catcher’s pickoff throw sailed past first. Will struck out the next batter looking, then the leadoff batter swung and missed an 0 -2 pitch to strike out. But the ball got away from the catcher, and the batter reached first on a dropped third strike. The next batter grounded to second, but the toss to the shortstop was late, and all hands were safe: bases loaded and one out…with the three and four hitters up. No problem…Will struck them both out to secure the victory. It wasn’t until Monday morning that I realized Will had struck out four in one inning.

In the bottom of the inning Will lined the first pitch deep, but just foul. He hit the next pitch deep into the hole. The shortstop was able to knock the ball down, but Will easily beat the throw to first. Colin grounded the first pitch to short, and the umpire ruled the toss to second beat Will’s headfirst slide into the base, though he looked safe to me. The Saints won easily, 9 – 5, with Powder Springs only threatening one inning.

Will was credited as the winning pitcher, and he struck out 7 in 2-2/3’s innings pitched.