The Delmar varsity baseball team jumped out to a 2-0 lead over Stephen Decatur in the second inning of last Friday’s home game before the Seahawks scored three in the sixth and took a 3-2 advantage going into the final inning. The Wildcats responded with a pair of runs in the bottom of the seventh to win, 4-3, and move to 2-0 on the year.
“We know we’re going to be in a situation that we have to fight up from the floor,” Delmar head coach Jordan Johnson said. “Now everybody’s got that experience. It’s only the second game. That carries you through the rest of the season because now you’ve done that.”
Delmar’s Robert McCabe comes home after stealing a pair of bases in Friday’s home win. Photo by Mike McClure
In the bottom of the second, Delmar’s Blair Davis hit a one-out single and moved to third on a single by Vernon Ko. Courtesy runner Robert McCabe stole second. An errant throw on a pickoff attempt at second allowed Davis to score then McCabe stole third and scored when the throw went into left field to make the score 2-0.
Stephen Decatur picked up a two-out triple in the third, but the runner was thrown out at home attempting to score on a passed ball as Ko threw to McCauley, who tagged the runner out to end the inning. The Seahawks had a pair of runners on base in the top of the fourth after being hit by pitches. McCauley got a groundout and a pop out and third baseman Jason Smullen made a nice grab on a liner to end the threat.
McCauley sent Stephen Decatur down in order in the fifth inning. The Seahawks put a pair of runners on base in the sixth on a hit by pitch and a single. A Delmar error allowed one run to score and a two-run single gave the visiting team a 3-2 lead. Kane Nibblett came on in relief and got a popup to strand the runner at second.
Nibblett recorded a pair of strikeouts in the top of the seventh to keep the Wildcats within one run. In the bottom of the inning, Nibblett singled and pinch runner Wyatt Otwell moved to second and scored the tying run when Davis reached on an error. Ko walked and Otwell and McCabe moved up on a passed ball. Brown walked to load the bases and McCauley drew a walk to force in the winning run (4-3).
“You know coming in that they’re going to be a good baseball team,” Johnson said of Stephen Decatur. “Whenever you’ve got a guy at third base you’re only one pitch away.”
McCauley allowed three hits and struck out four in five and a third innings and also collected a double at the plate.
Delmar baseball team holds on for 9-6 win over Lake Forest- The Delmar varsity baseball team scored two runs in the first, six in the second, and one in the third to take a 9-0 lead over Lake Forest last Thursday in Delmar. The Spartans scored two in the fifth and four in the six, but the Wildcats held on to win, 9-6.
Ryder Keidel tossed four shutout innings with six strikeouts and had a double, two walks, and two RBIs at the plate; Ayden McCauley collected two hits including a triple, two runs, and two RBIs; and Mathias Ford went 3-for-4 with two runs and two RBIs.
