Leading 6-3 in the seventh with two outs and a playoff spot in the balance, Reed commits pair of season-ending errors as Spanish Springs takes No. 2 seed
First-year Reed coach Levi Matherly said his squad treated Thursday’s regular-season bookend under the lights like a playoff game.
Essentially, it was a playoff game.
With a win on their home field, the Raiders would have snuck their way into the 4A North regional tournament as the No. 8 seed. Perhaps that pressure was the difference.
Reed outplayed Spanish Springs throughout, but with a 6-3 lead and two down in the top of the seventh, the Raiders committed errors on consecutive routine plays that allowed three runs to score, forcing extras. As momentum traded uniforms, the Cougars pushed three across in the top of the eighth and ended the Raiders’ season with a 9-7 defeat.
“You know, it’s unfortunate,” Matherly said after a long pause. “That’s the bottom line. It’s a play you practice all the time … We just didn’t make the play.
“It’s tough. I definitely hope it’s something we can learn from.”
Consecutive two-out errors allow Cougs to plate three in the top of the seventh. We’re tied up at 6-6. Ouch.
— Nathan Shoup (@Trib_Shoup) May 5, 2017
The Raiders end the year at 13-19, 10-12 and tied with Wooster for the eighth spot, however, the Colts advance by virtue of a regular-season sweep.
The Cougars (21-6, 17-5) beat their cross-town compadres for the second time in as many days and clinched the No. 2 seed in next week’s regional tournament. They would have tumbled to the No. 3 spot if not for the late rally.
“Reed played better than us for seven innings, really,” first-year Spanish Springs coach Matt Ortiz said. “They didn’t make the play at the end, but they played better than us (tonight) and probably deserved to hang on. But I think there’s something to be said for our guys who kept battling.”
Senior second baseman Marlin Brucato drove in the game-winning runs with a two-run triple into the right-center gap in the top of the eighth. He trotted home one batter later when Josh Prizina sent a sac fly to the fence in left center.
Brucato pokes two-run triple to right center. Prizina plates him with sac fly to the fence in left center. SS up 9-6 top eight.
— Nathan Shoup (@Trib_Shoup) May 5, 2017
Brucato finished 2-for-5 with the two RBIs and a pair of runs scored. Prizina was 1-for-2 with an RBI, a run and drew a pair of walks.
“The momentum (after the tie was) all in our dugout,” Ortiz said.
Reed scored three times in the bottom of the third to take a 6-3 lead before both bullpens get into a groove. Jon Pinto (3-for-4, RBI, two runs) led off the frame with a solo home run to right and Ryan Murphy (3-for-4, four RBIs) pushed the gap two three with a two-out two-run single to left.
For the Cougs, Colton Forman threw three scoreless innings, allowing just three hits while striking out three and walking one. Casey Miller came on to get one out and end the sixth then Conner Culp picked up the win, allowing one run on two hits over the final two frames. He threw a 1-2-3 bottom of the seventh inning to send the game to extras.
“We had some good relief pitching,” Ortiz said. “That’s where we won the game. We won the game with our relief pitching and our defense.”
Final 4A North baseball standings
No. 8 at No. 1
No. 5 at No. 4
No. 6 at No. 3
No. 7 at No. 2 pic.twitter.com/qpfYq0fYt8— Nathan Shoup (@Trib_Shoup) May 5, 2017
For the Raiders, Miah Harmon went the final four innings and ended up absorbing the loss, but was in line to pick up a three-inning save if not for the late defensive lapse behind him.
Three of the six hits, and the only three earned runs he allowed, came in the eighth.
“We thought about taking him (out), but it was one of those things, he’s a senior, you gotta stay with him,” Matherly said. “He probably did get tired, and I’ll wear that. In a situation that you’re going to do-or-die with, you’re going to stay with your guy.”
The Raiders showed glimpses this spring, most notably a sweep of Galena – which finished third – but couldn’t string enough similar victories together. Four-straight losses in early April to Douglas and Wooster proved costly.
“I think the thing we’ll take into next year is just trying to be consistent,” Matherly said. “I’m proud of these guys for accepting me and the things we’re trying to coach them to do. I think these seniors did a good job of setting the standard as far as what should be expected from Reed from now on. We’ll only build on that.”
Spanish Springs earned the right to host their first two playoff games, starting Tuesday against No. 7 Damonte Ranch (14-16, 11-11). The Cougars won both games against the Mustangs, 4-1 and 5-2, three weeks ago.
With a win, Spanish Springs would host the victor of No. 3 Galena and No. 6 Carson on Wednesday. With a first-round loss, the Cougars would host the loser of that matchup.
“I think we’ll rise to the challenge,” Ortiz said. “We have a good team.”
Cougars close in on league title as they pick up win over Reno
By Brian Walther, reporting intern
Spanish Springs started off slow against Reno, but finished strong at home to get a 7-2 win on Thursday afternoon.
The Cougars (26-5, 18-2) stayed in a first-place tie with Reed thanks to their seventh-straight win. The sixth-place Huskies dipped to 14-14, 11-9.
4A North softball standings heading into final day of the regular season (Saturday), weather permitting. pic.twitter.com/WcLrQnCYJP
— Nathan Shoup (@Trib_Shoup) May 5, 2017
We struggled a little bit early and then we came through and started swinging the bat,” Spanish Springs coach Jeff Davidson said.
With just one hit and trailing 2-0 in the fourth, Spanish Springs finally got things going.
Courtney Huff (2-for-3, walk) singled in the fourth to a six-run inning.
Tyra Clary would then singled home Huff, followed by two Reno errors that allowed the Cougars to go up 3-2. The runs didn’t stop there as Spanish Springs went up 6-2 on a two-run double from Katelyn Townsend.
Clary also started in the circle for the Cougars, pitching a complete game and giving up just two runs, both in the first.
Tyra struggled a little bit early but settled down,” Davidson said. “She did really well and finished strong.”
Freshman Hunter Travers hit a solo home run in the sixth inning to make things 7-2.
“Hunter hit the first home run out of this park this year against a pretty good breeze too. She crushed it,” Davidson said.
Spanish Springs will visit Reed on Saturday in a double header that will decide the league title. Thanks to a split with Bishop Manogue (the Raiders were swept by the Miners), the Cougars can clinch the No. 1 seed with a split in the final two games of the regular season.
Game one is scheduled to start at 11 a.m.
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