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This Sunrise (win) isn’t pretty
Sunrise Mountain baseball learned something Thursday in its 10-8 road win over Mountain Ridge - they can’t always rely on Jaff Decker to pull out the win for the Mustangs.
He did come in to close out Mountain Lions after it led off with a walk in the seventh, striking out the three hitters he faced to give the Mustangs (9-1) their ninth win of the season.
Decker, who is hitting in the neighborhood of .700 with seven home runs, did tie the game in the sixth, albeit by somewhat unconventional means, with a base hit that nearly carried to the centerfield wall. Catcher Cory Lee led off the inning getting hit by a pitch - the second time in the game - and that was followed by first basemen Josh Salaiz dropping in a bloop single on the right field line.
The junior outfielder then stroked a shot that bounced short of the warning track, scoring Lee easily. Coach Eric Gardner also sent Salaiz home, but a perfect relay from Mountain Ridge first baseman Ryan Freberg to catcher Ryan Cobb had the Mustang runner pegged. Cobb couldn’t handle the throw and Salaiz slid under the tag. On the throw home, Decker went for second and Cobb fired past shortstop Kyle Stiner, sending the ball into center field. Brad Williams backed the play up and his throw to third appeared to beat Decker, however, it short hopped Tanner Murphy and the ball went to the fence, allowing the Mustang junior to score the tying run to make it 8-8.
That wild exchange kicked off a sixth that saw Sunrise Mountain push five unearned runs across to take the lead.
But the Mustang star also lined out to start the game, and was picked off second in the third. AJ Robinson promptly smacked a base hit to right that likely would have scored Decker.
“This game shows that we do not stop playing” Gardner said. “Our guys battled, and most of it was without Jaff (Decker) doing much. I told my guys after the game we have to get used to winning games without Jaff’s bat or his pitching. So the guys moved hard on the bases, and we bring in (Mike) Burrola who pitches them backwards and gets them off balanced at the plate. Then Jaff comes in for the seventh to close it down and it's night and day for their hitters because now they have to play catch up to his pitches.”
Mountain Ridge (4-3-1) jumped out to an early 1-0 lead on a ground out to second, scoring second baseman Mike Reynolds who led the game off with a base hit to left.
The Mountain Lions tacked on four more in the fourth by pressing the action with stolen bases and converting on Sunrise Mountain miscues. Williams led off by hitting a shot at third baseman Vince Gillies, who didn’t get his glove down fast enough as the ball went through his legs. With one out and Williams at second after a stolen base, Stiner walked, and then moved up on a double steal. Left fielder Ryan Skube then knocked both runners in on a double down the left field line. Designated hitter Cameron Paschke then dropped a bloop double between a trio of Mustangs, scoring Skube and taking an early 5-0 lead.
However, the lead wouldn’t stick. In a fourth inning that saw Sunrise Mountain score five - three unearned - only two balls left the infield, both base hits, leaving the Mustangs to manufacture enough runs to tie the game.
“That was an ugly game on both sides of the field,” Gardner said. “They gave us something like eight unearned runs. But we also gave them some runs. There was a fly ball we didn’t get but should have had in right field. So, we gave them chances, too.”
For Mountain Ridge, the problems in the field were typically on throws to nail Mustang runners seeking the extra base. Something Gardner said is their typical game plan.
“That’s our philosophy,” Gardner said. “We might run into some outs, but when you go for the extra base you put pressure on their defense. That part has played a big role in our success over the past few seasons.”
The Mountain Lions reclaimed the lead in the fifth on a three-run triple by Williams, the No. 9 hitter. With one out, Freberg knocked a single into right field and then moved to third on a pair of walks to rightfielder Andy Silcox and Markel. Chris Contreras pinch hit for Cobb and grounded into a fielder’s choice, the throw going home to force Freberg. Williams then split the right field gap, short hopping the wall, and clearing the bases.
“We out hit them, and out pitch them,” said Mountain Ridge Coach Tommy Eubanks. “But we gave up seven unearned runs and you can’t do that against a team like Sunrise Mountain. You’re just not going to win when you play like that.”
