A-15s exercise patience, rally for win against Manhattan Pro Copy
By Michael Ashford
Thursday, July 5, 2007
The Emporia Legion A-15s took greater advantage of the free passes Manhattan Pro-Copy threw its way Tuesday night, and that made all the difference in Emporia’s 11-6 nine-inning victory at Soden’s Grove.
Manhattan erased a 2-0 deficit in the fourth when it scored twice on four straight walks and a hit batter. But more importantly, Manhattan gave up five runs to Emporia on five consecutive walks, two errors and a fielder’s choice in the seventh inning to help the A-15s turn a 4-3 deficit into an 8-4 edge.
“We knew we had to get it done there late,” center fielder Matt Fry said. “We all went to work and tried to be smart batters. We were just taking until we got a strike like coach told us to.
“In the end there, it opened up, and that’s when I think we started taking off.”
Emporia notched a single run in the second when Adam Ewy scored on a infield grounder from Remington Pinick, and then the A-15s made it 2-0 in the third when Fry scored on a ball that got by Manhattan’s catcher after Brian Keisler struck out.
Jacob Loucks was solid in the start on the mound, retiring all nine batters he faced through three innings, which included four strikeouts.
Loucks moved to third base to start the fourth, and that brought about Emporia’s problematic inning.
Malik Sommers came into the game, and after striking out the first batter he faced, he gave up three consecutive four-pitch walks to load the bases. On the next batter, Sommers fell into a 2-0 hole, and that was enough for Emporia coach Dick Evans, though Evans said the circumstances probably prevented Sommers from pitching well.
“Malik struggled, but he had a little asthma, a little breathing problem (Monday), and I think that beat him up,” Evans said. “He came out wanting to play, but you could tell he didn’t have anything to him.”
Keisler then came to the mound and promptly gave up Emporia’s fourth straight four-pitch walk to make it 2-1, and he then hit the next batter, Caesar Brown, to force home another run to tie it at 2.
But Keisler avoided the big inning when he got the next two batters, Jacob Crisenberry and Tyler Motley, to strike out with the bases still loaded.
“After a few pitches, I kind of settled down,” Keisler said. “I was working too fast to start, but then I settled down, and I felt good.”
Emporia regained the lead at 3-2 when Nick Hrabik scored on a sacrifice fly from Ethan Hall, but Manhattan grabbed its first and only lead in the top of the seventh at 4-3 thanks to two runs aided by a dropped fly ball from Matt Weatherhead that would have ended the inning.
However, when the bottom of the seventh came around, it was Emporia’s turn to capitalize on Manhattan’s suddenly inconsistent pitching.
Consecutive one-out walks to Hrabik, Fry, Brett Lechien, Keisler and Loucks, plus Hall’s reach on a fielder’s choice and throwing errors from Manhattan’s catcher and third baseman allowed Emporia to jump back out to the lead at 8-4 with a five-run outburst without the benefit of a hit.
“They took their walks,” Evans said, “and I don’t want them swinging at crummy pitches just so they can say they were up there swinging. I want the kids to swing at good pitches.”
Manhattan scored once in the top of the eighth, and then Emporia tacked on three more runs in the eighth when another three walks and a hit batter allowed Pinick, Weatherhead and Hrabik to score to make it 11-5. Manhattan plated another run in the top of the ninth off back-to-back doubles from Lane Trudo and Garrett Hess, making it the only earned run of the game for Pro Copy.
Each team ended up using five pitchers in the game, with Emporia’s Hall getting the win after relieving Keisler to start the seventh inning.
“I thought our pitching was real good,” Evans said. “They hung in there, and the defense really helped pull us through.”
Fry led the A-15s by going 2-for-3 in five plate appearances to go with two walks, two runs scored and an RBI, while Hrabik scored three times, reaching base with a single and two walks.
The A-15s will play the Emporia A-16s at 5 tonight at Soden’s Grove.
Tuesday at Emporia
Emporia A-15s 11, Manhattan 6
Manhattan 000 200 211 — 6 4 2
Emporia A-15s 011 010 530 — 11 7 4
W — Ethan Hall. L — Garrett Hess
2B — Manhattan: Matt Tredway, Lane Trudo, Garrett Hess; Emporia: Matt Fry. SB — Manhattan: Lane Trudo 2, A.J. Stitt, Jacob Crisenberry; Emporia: Matt Fry, Ethan Hall, Adam Ewy 2, Nick Hrabik.
Emporia A-15 highlights — Matt Fry 2-3, 2R, 1 RBI, 2BB; Brian Keisler 1-4, R, RBI, BB; Nick Hrabik 1-2, 3R, 2BB.