NTL BASEBALL: 'GRIT AND HEART' CARRIES SAYRE TO 8-6 EXTRA-INNING WIN OVER ATHENS (24 PHOTOS) (2024-04-20)
Valley Sports ReportATHENS — “Grit and heart,” said first-year Sayre baseball coach Todd Green. “That’s what the boys played with today.”
That “grit and heart” helped Sayre to a back-and-forth, 8-6, 10-inning win over crosstown rival Athens here Saturday afternoon in NTL baseball action.
“We are still trying to overcome our errors in the field, but overall the team played well today,” said Green.
“We had some good at-bats at key moments today to keep us going, and we were able to reduce the number of players left on base,” noted Green.
“Athens played a tough game like normal. Duncan (Thetga) kept us off kilter a bit with some good pitching.
“All the kids — both teams — played well through a long game,” Green added.
Green tipped his cap to senior Will Crossett, who earned the win for the Redskins, allowing two runs on four hits, while striking out 11 and walking three in 6 1/3 innings of relief.
“Will pulled off the a great outing today by composing himself after a tough at-bat,” said Green. “I am very proud of him to be able to do that to lead the team a hard-fought win.”
Athens took the early lead on a two-run double by freshman Connor Davidson in the bottom of the second, but Sayre answered with two in the top of the third — the first scoring on a balk, and the tying run crossing the plate on an RBI double by sophomore Karter Green.
Dylan Saxon’s RBI single to score sophomore Eli Hobday, who led off the bottom of the third inning with a single, gave the Wildcats a 3-2 lead after three innings.
Sophomore Cooper Robinson scored on a balk in the bottom of the fourth inning to extend the Athens lead to 4-2.
Sayre responded with two runs in the top of the fifth inning to tie the game at 4-4.
Sophomore Logan Zingeser walked to lead-off the inning, and seniors Aiden Ennis, and Kaden Bennett hit back-to-back singles to load the bases.
With one out, Karter Green plated a run with a sacrifice fly, and Crossett looped an RBI single to right field.
The game remain tied into the top of the eighth inning when the Redskins took a 6-4 lead with a pair of two-out hits — an RBI double by senior Tanner Green, and an RBI single by junior Nick Pellicano.
Athens, however, responded with two runs in the home half of the inning. Robinson was hit by a pitch to lead off the inning, and junior Carson Rowe reached on a dropped third strike. With one out, sophomore Eli Chapman stroked a two-RBI single to center field to tie the game at 6-6.
The Redskins put two runners on base in the ninth, but Davidson, on in relief, notched a strikeout with runners on first and second to end the threat.
Athens loaded the bases in the bottom of the ninth on walks to sophomore Alex McQuay and Davidson, and an infield single by freshman Kamdyn Wheeler, but Crossett struck out the next two batters, and induced a fly ball to center field to escape the jam unscathed.
In the top of the10th, Tanner Greene worked a one-out walk, and Pellicano followed with a single to left field.
After the runners advanced on a passed ball, Tanner Green was cut down at the plate trying to score on an infield grounder, but Ennis followed with a two-RBI single to left field to give the Redskins an 8-6 lead.
Crossett retired the side in order in the home half of the 10th to preserve the win.
Ennis singled twice, scored two runs, and had two RBI, while Karter Green doubled and singled scored one run, and had two RBI, and Pellicano singled twice, scored one run, and drove in one run to pace Sayre’s nine-hit attack.
Tanner Green doubled, scored one run, and knocked in one run in the win, while Crossett singled and drove in one run, Bennett singled, and senior Jon Apgar, and Zingeser each scored one run.
Saxon singled twice and drove in one run to lead Athens at the plate, while Robinson doubled, scored two runs, and had two RBI, and Grazul rapped a double.
Eli Hobday singled and scored for the Wildcats, while Chapman singled and drove in two runs, Wheeler and Cooke each added a single, and Davidson, Rowe, and junior Troy Rosenbloom each crossed the plate once.
Thetga started for the Wildcats and allowed four runs on four hits, while striking out five and walking two in four innings.
Rowe allowed two runs on two hits, while striking out five and walking two in three innings, and Davidson was tagged with the loss, allowing two runs on three hits, while striking out one and walking one in 1 2/3 innings.
Athens, now 4-5, will host Troy Tuesday, while Sayre, now 3-4, hosts NEB Monday.
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IN PHOTO 1: Sayre’s Tanner Green. … PHOTOS BY MATT PATTON.
