Warriors fall to East in pitcher’s duel
Published 8:18 am Tuesday, May 7, 2019
Star Photo/Brandon Hyde #9, Jacob Absher of Happy Valley comes up short after an attempted 3rd base steal.
Star Photo/Brandon Hyde #9 Jacob Absher gets an RBI as he heads for first on a single.
Star Photo/Brandon Hyde #8 Zac Workman of Happy Valley hits a single.
Star Photo/Brandon Hyde Happy Valley first baseman, Dylan Willis collides with #7 of Sullivan East for an out.
Star Photo/Brandon Hyde #9 Jacob Absher of Happy Valley tries to avoid being tagged as Sullivan East ends the game on a double play.
BY ALLEN LAMOUNTAIN
STAR CORRESPONDENT
On Saturday morning in the District 1-AA baseball playoffs, the Happy Valley Warriors came up short in a 3-2 loss to Sullivan East. Senior pitcher Bryce Carter pitched a two-hitter, striking out eight but also surrendered seven walks.
“I was super proud of the way our guys played today,” HV head coach Brad Hill said. “East is one of the most prolific offensive teams in the region.
“I think Bryce gave up just one earned run and he pitched a great game. He had a couple of pitches working for him today. We put together some good at-bats but hit into a couple of double plays.”
The Patriots (15-12 overall) pushed a run across in the last of the first with Perry Casaday opening with a double to center. He came around to score on a ground-ball RBI from Dylan Bartley to give East a 1-0 lead.
HV (8-17 overall) struck for a pair of runs in the top of the second. With two outs East starting pitcher Tanner Leffew walked the bases loaded and Jacob Absher plated two runners with a single to center.
Walks were a constant on this day as East pitchers walked nine HV batters and hit two more as base runners was not an issue but getting them in was.
East turned three double plays in this contest to help keep the Warriors off the scoreboard and in the last of the second, the Patriots took back the lead.
Ethan Terry reached on the only error of the game by either team and he was moved up by a sacrifice bunt from Seth Chafin.
Terry moved to third on the play and Luke Hale drew a walk to put East runners at the corners. Hale stole second and both runners scored on Cassaday’s second hit of the day and East led 3-2.
In the fifth Carter ran into control problems and walked the bases loaded with one out, but first baseman Bart Wilson turned in a stellar play on a line drive off the bat of Leffew and turned it into an inning-ending twin killing.
“I told Bart’s mom that I owe him a burger,” Carter said. “That was a great play, and they are a really good team.
“The last time we played them they gave us a real hard time. Like coach Hill said there are no moral victories but it felt good to hold them to just three runs.”
Casaday’s hit would be the last one of the day until the top of the seventh when Dylan McKeehan doubled to centerfield for HV to keep their hopes alive trailing by a run.
Absher walked to put runners on first and second but the Patriots turned Dylan Willis’ hard-hit ball to second into a 4-6-3 double play to end the game.
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District 1-AA Baseball
Sullivan East 3-2
Happy Valley 020 000 0 – 2 2 1
Sullivan East 120 000 x – 3 2 0
W – Leffew L – Carter
