Collegiate fends off Benedictine in tight baseball game

It wasn’t pretty, and it certainly wasn’t easy, but it was a victory, and that was enough.

On a clear, cool windswept Saturday afternoon on Collegiate’s Sam Newell Field, the Cougars jumped ahead of Benedictine 3-0 in the bottom of the first inning, fended off the never-quit Cadets’ best comeback efforts time and again, and ultimately prevailed 5-4 when Sam Settar raced from third on a passed ball and slid head-first across the plate with two outs in the seventh.

“This was a great team win for us,” said Collegiate coach Andrew Slater. “It was a high emotional game. It felt like a playoff game in March. 

“We didn’t panic when we made a mistake here and there. I’m really proud of the toughness and resilience we showed. We found a way to grit it out and get the W.”

The home team’s performance in the initial inning suggested that no gritting-it-out would be necessary.

After Collegiate righthander Emery Williamson shut down the Cadets in order, his teammate Michael Chambers led off with a single and stole second.

Owen Prusek then reached first on an error which sent Chambers to third. Settar followed with a single to right scoring Chambers and sending Prusek to third.

After Settar stole second, Dominic Ivie walked to load the bases, Cameron Goodwyn walked scoring Prusek, and Williamson walked scoring Settar.

The Cougars’ lead seemed secure until it wasn’t.

With one out in the top of the third, Benedictine’s Jordan O’Brien drew a walk and moved to third on a throwing error.

Freshman Braylon Rogers followed with a double to right center sending O’Brien home. After Rogers moved to third on an infield out, Barrett Sanders’ single to right drove him in.

With no outs in the bottom of the third, the Cougars loaded the bases when Settar was hit by a pitch, Ivie singled up the middle, and Tate Quinby dropped an exquisitely executed bunt down the third base line.

Then, a strikeout and a shortstop Davy Rasmussen-to second baseman Luke Moore-to first baeman Nate Sanders double play summarily ended the threat.

The Cadets (4-5) were on a roll. 

Red Taylor drew a walk to lead off the fourth. Gavin Martindale entered as a courtesy runner, advanced to second on Zach Jones’ sacrifice bunt, stole third, and scored on O’Brien’s single to left.

“We brought the energy from pitch one, but some things didn’t go our way,” said Chambers, Collegiate’s senior shortstop and a University of Mary Washington signee. “This team has been super-resilient all year. We battled every at-bat and every play in the field.

“We take pride in our mental game. We have a mental coach, Brian Turnage, who speaks every day about that next-pitch mentality. Everybody knows that if we make a mistake, no one’s to blame. It’s on to the next pitch.”

With the score tied 3-3, Prusek led off the Cougars’ fifth with a single to left, then stole second and, for good measure, also stole third.

With one out, Quinby’s sacrifice bunt scored Prusek to give the Cougars (6-1) a tenuous 4-3 lead.

Matthew Zandler, working on a limited pitch count, relieved Williamson in the fifth and held the Cadets in check through the sixth.

Prusek relieved Zandler in the seventh and retired the first two batters. All was looking bright for the Cougars.

“(Being the closer) is a role I’m very happy I got this year,” said Prusek, a senior starter at second base. “I love coming in in the big moments.”

With two outs, Sanders reached second on an outfield error.  Odin Gaitens replaced him as a pinch runner, then scored the tying run when designated hitter Cooper Crabtree drilled a double to left center.

“This team has come together,” Prusek said. “Even with mistakes, we’re able to bounce back. We do so much preparation. We have to play situational baseball, get bunts down, try to hit line drives, don’t go up there trying to hit home runs. Putting the team before yourself.”

In the bottom of the seventh, Settar walked on four pitches, then advanced to second on a wild pitch, then stole third.

A moment later, he saw his opening, made his move, and delivered the deciding run.

“Baseball’s a really hard game,” Slater said. “We’re just trying to compete to the best of our ability and understand that some days we’re going to play well and some days it’s going to be a little bit harder.

“Benedictine is historically a great program. They have a really good team again this year. We knew we’d have to gut it out and figure it out.”