Comeback Kids
Emporia A-16s rally for 5 runs in the final inning to complete sweep of Ottawa
By Jesse Newell
Friday, June 22, 2007
With his team trailing by five runs, Emporia A-16 coach Aaron Lechien gathered his players around him way back in the fourth inning to tell them to keep battling and that the game wasn’t over yet.
Turns out they were listening — it just took awhile to sink in.
The 16s completed a thrilling final-inning comeback Thursday, rallying for five runs in the seventh to steal an 8-7 victory over Ottawa at Soden’s Grove.
“Coach always says we’re a scrappy team,” Emporia A-16 outfielder Dominic Rodriguez said, “and we always believe him when he says we can come back.”
The win completed a sweep, as Emporia also took Game One, 12-6.
“It’s the same thing over and over with these guys — they never quit,” Lechien said. “They’re tough kids.”
Lechien saw just how tough in the final frame of Game Two.
Trailing 7-3 in its last at-bats, Emporia sent 10 batters to the plate to take the come-from-behind win.
It all started with Josh Posey, who lined a triple in the right-center gap.
Dylan Smith followed by reaching on an error, and after a strikeout, Adam Ewy was hit by a pitch and Trevor Turney and Derek Krause both walked.
“Once we started getting those runs,” Emporia shortstop Derek Nielsen said, “I felt we could come back.”
With the bases loaded and the tying run on second, Nielsen contributed the biggest hit for the 16s.
On an 0-1 pitch, he sent a deep shot to left-center, scoring two runs and tying the game at 7.
Because Krause only advanced one base because he was unsure if it was going to be caught, Nielsen was credited with an off-the-wall single.
“I wanted to hit a gapper to tie it,” Nielsen said. “The pitcher threw me a good first pitch, and I missed that one. He threw the same pitch again a second time, and that’s when I hit it.”
After a strikeout, Rodriguez walked to load the bases, bringing Posey back up with two outs.
Ottawa’s Eric Messenger unleashed a wild pitch on the first delivery to Posey, which bounded away far enough for Krause to score the game-winner.
“We have a lot of fight,” Nielsen said. “I think (Ottawa) had thought they’d already won it.”
Ewy — a member of the A-15s who played because of low numbers on the A-16s — picked up the win after pitching a scoreless inning in relief.
Brett Lechien also moved up from the 15s, scoring two runs as a courtesy runner.
Emporia won despite posting just four hits.
The 16s were less dramatic in their first game, using solid pitching and an emerging offense to take the convincing victory.
Emporia trailed 3-2 in the fourth before sending 12 batters to the plate in a seven-run inning. Dylan Smith led off with a hit, and Chase Speer and Nick Riggs set the table with consecutive bunt singles.
The clutch hit then came from Krause, who laced a high, first-pitch fastball into the left-center gap for a two-run double that gave the 16s a 4-3 lead.
Rodriguez and Smith both contributed RBI singles later in the inning.
Meanwhile, Rodriguez was effective on the mound by not giving Ottawa free bases.
The Emporia starter went the distance, striking out four but, most importantly, walking none.
“You just have to throw strikes and trust your defense,” Rodriguez said.
Emporia pitchers had just two walks combined in the doubleheader, a significant improvement from just a few weeks ago.
“That’s awesome,” Lechien said. “If we can get to that and make the other team earn it, we’ll be that much better.”
Rodriguez led the Emporia bats as well in Game One, going 3-for-3 with a double, three runs scored and two RBI.
Emporia (5-12) will face Topeka at home on Thursday.
Lechien said he hoped to see the same effort from his team the rest of the way.
“That’s the staple of Emporia baseball,” Lechien said. “We may not win every game, but we’re going to give ourselves a chance.”
Thursday at Emporia
Emporia 12, Ottawa 6
Game One
Ottawa 003 020 1 — 6 9 2
Emporia A-16s 200 730 X — 12 10 2
W — Dominic Rodriguez. L — Tyler Beebe.
2B — Ottawa: Devin Martin, Jake DeVore; Emporia: Dominic Rodriguez, Josh Posey, Derek Krause. SB — Ottawa: Adam Maxwell, Devin Martin, Tyler Beebe, Conner Shea 2, Cody Bell.
Emporia A-16 highlights — Dominic Rodriguez 3-3, 2B, 3R, 2 RBI, BB; Dylan Smith 2-4, RBI; Derek Krause 1-3, 2B, 2 R, 2 RBI; Josh Posey 1-4, 2B, 3 RBI.
Game Two
Emporia 8, Ottawa 7
Ottawa 060 001 0 — 7 7 2
Emporia A-16s 001 020 5 — 8 4 3
W — Adam Ewy. L — Eric Messenger.
2B — Ottawa: Devin Martin, Brendon White, Jake DeVore. 3B — Emporia: Josh Posey. SB — Ottawa: Devin Martin, Carson Dunlap; Emporia: Derek Nielsen, Brett Lechien.
Emporia A-16 highlights — Derek Nielsen 1-3, 2 R, 2 BB, 2 RBI, SB; Josh Posey 1-2, 3B, SF, HBP, RBI; Trevor Turney 0-1, 3 BB.