TJ holds its own before falling to Freeman in baseball
Just after 6 p.m. Thursday, the folks who braved the unseasonable May temperature and brisk westerly wind at Douglas Freeman’s Ken Moore Field stood at attention under an overcast sky as the national anthem reverberated from the public address system.
Considering that the Mavericks, a Class 5 signatory, were hosting Class 2 Thomas Jefferson, they thought, perhaps, that the home team would make quick work of the Vikings so they could get out of the chilly weather, pack up, and head home early.
It was wishful thinking.
Two hours and forty minutes later, those who remained watched Freeman’s Tucker Hunn smack a single to center field in the bottom of the fifth inning to score Ben Bleicher and Matthew Berrey, bringing the Mavericks’ 17-7 victory to conclusion.
In between, they watched the plucky, nothing-to-lose Vikings go up 3-0 in the top of the first, then fall behind 4-3, then pull even at 4-4, then fall way behind (13-4) when the Mavericks scored six runs in the bottom of the third.
Then, they watched TJ, now on the verge of succumbing to the 10-run-differential-after-five-innings mercy rule, score three times in the top of the fifth before Coach Ray Moore’s guys dropped the hammer, finally, in the bottom of the inning.
It was, for sure, a wild one.
“It was a wild one tonight,” Moore said. “Thomas Jefferson started the game hot on offense and really hit the ball well all night. We were able to scratch some runs back in the bottom of the first, then get a little bit of a lead.
“They cut back into the lead. Eventually, we pulled away. Then they scored some more runs to keep the game going. Credit to them. They were resilient.”
Once the Mavericks (14-6) found their rhythm, there was little doubt that they would win, but actually sealing the victory, the score notwithstanding, proved more difficult than they anticipated.
“Thomas Jefferson has gotten better and better through the years,” Moore added. “They have more talent on the field. They’re also feistier and fight hard from start to finish. They made it harder for us. Credit to TJ and Coach (Harold) Henry for making it a tough game.”
Tim Henderson served notice that the Vikings (6-10) had come to play by leading off the first with a double to left field. Thomas Dejnozka followed by reaching base on an error.
Henderson quickly scored on an infield out, Dejnozka scored on Graeme Cox’s single, and Cox scored on a bases-loaded walk.
The Mavericks answered quickly. Briggs Robinson scored from third on a passed ball, Drew Levasseur on an infield error, Vann Wyatt on a single by Tyler Rogish, and Brady Finn (courtesy runner for catcher Ben Britt) on a wild pitch.
Dejnozka, who singled, eventually scored on a single by Nate Knockemus enabling TJ to forge a 4-4 tie in the top of the second.
In the bottom of the inning, Robinson, Hunn, and Levasseur crossed the plate to put Freeman up 7-4.
The Mavericks’ six-run third came on just one hit (Britt’s single), three walks, and two errors.
By the time Carlos Castellon, Berrey, Robinson, Wyatt, Finn, and Rogish crossed the plate, the Mavericks appeared to have the game well in hand.
“We did a good job of keeping the line moving,” said Hunn, a junior rightfielder who went 2-for-3 with four RBI. “Guys weren’t trying to hit big home runs or do anything special. Just hit singles, get on base, take walks, do anything possible to give the next guy an opportunity to do his job.
“That’s how we score so many runs. Everybody does his part.”
Berrey pitched three innings of solid middle-inning relief. The junior righthander faced 17 batters, threw 67 pitches, 36 for strikes, allowed three hits, two runs, and four walks, and struck out seven.
“It was primarily fastballs,” he said. “Throwing strikes shut their momentum down.
“Mainly, it was just trusting my defense. I know if I put it over the plate, whether they hit it or not, it’s going to be an out. That’s why I love playing for this team. They’re always going to get outs for you.”
TJ’s Leroy Cosby opened the top of the fifth by reaching first on an error. Walks to Josiah Crudup and Henderson loaded the bases.
Dejnoka’s single scored Cosby. Cox’s single ultimately scored Henderson and Dejnozka.
With the Mavericks’ up 13-7, Wyatt led off the bottom of the fifth with a double to left and scored on Rogish’s sacrifice fly.
Thomas Page walked, moved to second when Bleicher walked, and scored on Berrey’s single.
Robinson reached on an error sending Bleicher to third and Berrey to second and bringing Hunn to the plate.
One waist-high fastball down the middle later, the game was over.
“The guys ahead of me did a great job of getting in scoring position,” Hunn said. “I just wanted to do my job, get a hit, and keep guys moving.
“Thankfully, it got through the middle, we got a couple of runs on that, and we were able to end the game.”
