Since it was the regular season finale, it was only natural that these two rivals kept the largest Riverheads crowd of the season on the edge of their seats until the final moment. In honor of the game, I will do the same for you readers.
Austin Craft started for RHS and Trevor Craig for the Cougars. Each performed well as they scattered about 7-8 hits apiece. Craft would end up going the distance whereas Craig was relieved in the 7th by freshman Areian Sanders.
SD got on the board first in the top of the second, helped along by a Riverheads throwing error that brought a man in from third. The Cougars then added two more in the top of the third when Logan Carter smacked one into right field that barely cleared the fence and interrupted the softball game.
Although the Gladiators were making frequent and solid contact with the ball, they still not scratch until the home half of the fourth when they scored a single run to climb back to within 3-1. But Mr. Carter opened the fifth with a solid double and eventually came around to score to make it a 4-1 lead.
The Gladiators then had their big inning in the sixth, as they scored three runs to tie things up, doing most of their damage with two outs and getting the most crucial hit from a most unlikely hero. Jakob King had just entered the line-up in left field and was facing Craig for the first time in a bases-loaded two-out situation, when he smacked one up the middle that brought in two runs. The Big Red went on to tie it moments later but stranded the potential go-ahead runs on second and third.
With momentum now squarely on the home team's shoulders, the Cougars came to bat in the 7th and immediately made some serious noise as they loaded the bases with nobody out. RHS elected to leave Craft in the game and it momentarily paid off as the lanky senior induced a shot straight to the mound, where he fielded it cleanly and fired to home for the force. Freshman catcher Braeson Fulton then fired to first for the double play, but in the process runners moved into scoring position at second and third.
The next Cougar batter (sorry don't remember who it was) came to the plate and worked Craft for a dramatic full count. With Riverheads just needing one more strike to possibly get out of the jam with no damage, instead the batter laced one straight up the middle to score both runners and give the visitors a 6-4 lead.
SD elected to pull Craig for the final Gladiator at-bat, even though he had been under control most of the way. RHS may not have had time to process that a probably-nervous freshman was now on the mound, but fans quickly noticed it and hoped for a game-winning rally.
But it was not to be as the cool, calm and collected frosh set the Big Red down on a pair of ground-outs and a fly out to center as the Cougars avenged an earlier 4-1 loss at home. Definitely one of the better games of the season and each team may have benefited from having such a pressure-packed game as they enter the post-season.
The Gladiators would of course have preferred to go out winners on Senior Day, but they have still managed to hold on to the number one spot in Conference 44, despite losing three of their last four. As a result, they have a bye on Friday and will not swing back into action until next Tuesday, when they will host the winner of the Stonewall Jackson/William Campbell quarter-final.
SD will enter the Conference 36 playoffs and I would guess they are no worse than a third seed. Both teams have the potential to make a deep playoff run.
Austin Craft started for RHS and Trevor Craig for the Cougars. Each performed well as they scattered about 7-8 hits apiece. Craft would end up going the distance whereas Craig was relieved in the 7th by freshman Areian Sanders.
SD got on the board first in the top of the second, helped along by a Riverheads throwing error that brought a man in from third. The Cougars then added two more in the top of the third when Logan Carter smacked one into right field that barely cleared the fence and interrupted the softball game.
Although the Gladiators were making frequent and solid contact with the ball, they still not scratch until the home half of the fourth when they scored a single run to climb back to within 3-1. But Mr. Carter opened the fifth with a solid double and eventually came around to score to make it a 4-1 lead.
The Gladiators then had their big inning in the sixth, as they scored three runs to tie things up, doing most of their damage with two outs and getting the most crucial hit from a most unlikely hero. Jakob King had just entered the line-up in left field and was facing Craig for the first time in a bases-loaded two-out situation, when he smacked one up the middle that brought in two runs. The Big Red went on to tie it moments later but stranded the potential go-ahead runs on second and third.
With momentum now squarely on the home team's shoulders, the Cougars came to bat in the 7th and immediately made some serious noise as they loaded the bases with nobody out. RHS elected to leave Craft in the game and it momentarily paid off as the lanky senior induced a shot straight to the mound, where he fielded it cleanly and fired to home for the force. Freshman catcher Braeson Fulton then fired to first for the double play, but in the process runners moved into scoring position at second and third.
The next Cougar batter (sorry don't remember who it was) came to the plate and worked Craft for a dramatic full count. With Riverheads just needing one more strike to possibly get out of the jam with no damage, instead the batter laced one straight up the middle to score both runners and give the visitors a 6-4 lead.
SD elected to pull Craig for the final Gladiator at-bat, even though he had been under control most of the way. RHS may not have had time to process that a probably-nervous freshman was now on the mound, but fans quickly noticed it and hoped for a game-winning rally.
But it was not to be as the cool, calm and collected frosh set the Big Red down on a pair of ground-outs and a fly out to center as the Cougars avenged an earlier 4-1 loss at home. Definitely one of the better games of the season and each team may have benefited from having such a pressure-packed game as they enter the post-season.
The Gladiators would of course have preferred to go out winners on Senior Day, but they have still managed to hold on to the number one spot in Conference 44, despite losing three of their last four. As a result, they have a bye on Friday and will not swing back into action until next Tuesday, when they will host the winner of the Stonewall Jackson/William Campbell quarter-final.
SD will enter the Conference 36 playoffs and I would guess they are no worse than a third seed. Both teams have the potential to make a deep playoff run.
