A Bit of Good Fortune
A-16s work around rain delay, go on to sweep doubleheader from Junction City
By Jesse Newell
Saturday, June 16, 2007
Good luck came in the form of rain for the Emporia A-16s on Friday night.
A brief rainshower came at the most opportune time, turning an out into a big inning in Emporia’s 8-3 victory over Junction City.
The 16s completed the sweep with a 14-4 win in the nightcap.
“We’re coming together,” Emporia first baseman Bryan Little said. “We’re playing a lot better and backing each other up.”
In Game One, Emporia trailed 1-0 in the second inning before getting some help from Mother Nature.
With one out, Trevor Turney singled, then Derek Krause hit a hard grounder to shortstop Mick Coleman right as the downpour started.
Coleman fielded the ball, but his throw with the slippery ball was low, allowing Krause to reach safely and Turney to advance to third.
“That does help,” Emporia coach Aaron Lechien said of the good fortune, “but part of our plan is to put pressure on the defense. Unless they’re spectacular on defense, we’re going to get to them.”
The 5-minute onslaught of rain was enough to delay the game for an hour while players and parents worked the field.
Derek Neilsen provided the big hit once play resumed.
On an 0-2 pitch, he leaned into an inside curveball, getting hit on the elbow before the umpire brought him back to home plate.
“The umpire called it a ball still, so I said, ‘OK, just give me a good pitch, and I’ll hit it,’” Neilsen said.
Junction City later wished he would have just been given the free base.
The Emporia shortstop lined the next pitch into left for a two-run double, giving the A-16s the lead, 2-1.
Jacob Hastings followed with a single, and both he and Neilsen scored on a two-out error to make it 4-1.
Emporia extended its lead in the fourth.
Neilsen was hit by a pitch and stole second, and after a strikeout, Dominic Rodriguez sent an RBI single to right.
Dylan Smith followed with a run-scoring double to the wall in center to push the advantage to 6-1.
The 16s tacked on single runs in the fifth and sixth innings. Neilsen doubled and later scored on Rodriguez’s single to right-center in the fifth.
Chase Speer reached on a two-out error in the sixth, later coming across on an RBI single to right by Turney.
It would be more than enough support for the Emporia starter Speer, who helped himself out by limiting Junction City’s contact.
The right-hander struck out at least one batter in each of his six innings, finishing with nine punchouts.
Speer never allowed more than one Junction City hit in an inning, and Josh Posey recorded the final three outs to seal the victory.
Neilsen led Emporia offensively, going 2-for-3 with two doubles, two RBI and three runs scored.
Rodriguez went 2-for-3 with two RBI, while Turney added two hits and a run scored.
In Game Two, Emporia took advantage of Junction City’s pitching and defensive struggles.
The A-16s struck for five runs in the first inning without the benefit of a hit. Junction City had three walks and four errors to help the Emporia rally.
The 16s scored two more in the second, adding their first hit when Posey lined a single to right-center.
Hits from Krause and Hastings led to two runs in the third, and Turney’s single pushed across a run in the fourth.
It all set up Little’s dramatics in the fifth.
With two runners on, the Emporia first baseman received a pitch in his wheelhouse.
“It was a little inside — right where I like it,” he said.
The left-handed hitter launched the ball deep to right, sending it into the trees for a three-run walk-off home run that enforced the run-rule.
“The only thing is I’m not going to get the ball,” Little said with a smile, “because now it’s back in the forest.”
Hastings reached in all four plate appearances in Game Two, going 2-for-2 with two walks and three runs scored. Posey finished 2-for-4 with a run scored.
The A-16s will play host to Salina at 1 p.m. today at Soden’s Grove.
Friday at Emporia
Game One
Emporia 8, Junction City 3
Junction City 100 011 0 — 3 6 5
Emporia A-16s 040 211 X — 8 10 2
W — Chase Speer. L — Blake Morgan.
2B — Emporia: Derek Neilsen 2, Dylan Smith. SB — Junction City: Nate Kozlowski 4, Jeff Childs 2, Corey Burch, Mitchell Jeffrey, Sean Carr; Emporia: Derek Neilsen, Jacob Hastings 2, Dominic Rodriguez, Derek Krause.
Emporia A-16 highlights — Derek Neilsen 2-3, 2 2B, 3 R, 2 RBI, SB, BB; Dominic Rodriguez 2-3, R, 2 RBI; Trevor Turney 2-4, R, RBI.
Game Two
Emporia 14, Junction City 4
Junction City 102 01X X — 4 1 6
Emporia A-16s 522 14X X — 14 8 1
W — Dominic Rodriguez. L — Jordan Clark.
HR — Emporia: Bryan Little. SB — Junction City: Bradley Dill 2, Jeff Childs 2; Emporia: Jacob Hastings.
Emporia A-16 highlights — Jacob Hastings 2-2, 3 R, RBI, 2 BB, SB; Bryan Little 1-3, HR, 2R, 3 RBI; Josh Posey 2-4, R.