Kyle’s base hit makes Peebles a 6-5 winner –
Story and photos by Mark Carpenter –
There is something pleasant about a nice summer evening at the ball park and that was just what fans got last Thursday night in Peebles. With nearly perfect baseball weather, two county squads of what was formerly called “B” baseball, now 13-14 year olds, battled down to the wire. Peebles, also known in the area as “Team Latos”, hosted the Manchester Greyhounds in the second meeting of the season between the two teams, with the Greyhounds taking that first affair by a final score of 3-2 and the home team looking for revenge.
With right hander Devon Roepke getting the starting nod for Peebles, the visiting Greyhounds could not have asked for a better start than they got in the top of the first. Lead off hitter Gavin Lucas drove a deep drive over the center fielder’s head and circled the bases for a home run and a 1-0 Manchester lead.
The home team didn’t let their deficit last long as they picked up two runs in the bottom of the first against the side-armed deliveries of Manchester starter Cade Colvin. With one, Zane Knechtly nailed a double to left center and came home on a base hit by Logan Mahan. One out later, Mahan came across on a bloop single to left by Easton Wesley that made it 2-1 Peebles.
Manchester came right back to tie the score in the top of the second when Kaleb Colvin drew a walk and later scored on a sacrifice fly to center off the bat of Rylan Bailey. The Hounds added two more and took the lead in the top of the third. Lucas led off with a base hit to center and with one out, Cade Colvin was hit by a pitch. Both runners came around to score on a single to right by Gage Kinhalt that gave Manchester a 4-2 advantage.
After Peebles reliever Logan Mahan retired the Greyhounds in the top of the fourth, his offense got one run back in their half of the frame. Mahan led off with his second hit of the night, was sacrificed to second by Brennan Barr and then stole third. Mahan came home with the third Peebles run when Mason Lewis struck out on a ball in the dirt and Mahan alertly raced home on the throw to first, sliding home safely under the catcher’s tag. Peebles threatened in the bottom of the fifth when Braxton Smart walked and Wyatt Cluxton followed with a double to deep left field, but a fielder’s choice and a strikeout ended the threat.
The score remained 4-3 Manchester until the top of the sixth when the Hounds added one to their lead. With Mahan still on the mound, Kaleb Colvin and Brayden Young coaxed free passes to start the inning and Peebles coach Jay Mahan made the move to the bullpen and called on right hander Dawson Mills. Mills got Bailey swinging, but Jordan Hughes reached on an error to load the bases. A ground out to first by Lucas plated Colvin to put the Hounds up 5-3. Ryland Wikoff was hit by a pitch to again fill the bags but the inning ended when Cade Colvin grounded out to short.
Needing three outs to get the “W”, Manchester head coach Jeremy Reed called on righty Ryland Wikoff in the top of the sixth and Wikoff was greeted with a line drive double down the left field line by Mills. A walk to Knechtly followed and a base hit to left by Mahan scored Mills to make it 5-4.
A single to right by brought home Knechtly with the tying run and forced Reed to make another pitching change as he brought back starter Cade Colvin. An intentional walk was issued to Wesley to load the bases and set up the force at any base and Colvin struck out Lewis for the first out.
That brought to the plate Peebles slugger Brennan Kyle and he delivered for the home team, slapping a base hit between third and short to bring home Mahan and give Team Latos the exciting 6-5 walk-off victory.
The game was very well-played by both sides, especially on defense where each team committed but a single error. With his one inning of relief, Mills was the winning pitcher while Wikoff took the loss. Gavin Lucas led the Manchester offense with three hits, while Mahan had three hits, three runs batted in,and scored three times for the winners, who improved to 7-3 on the season.
Manchester
112 001 –5
Peebles
200 103 –6
Manchester Hitting (AB-R-H-RBI): Lucas 4-2-3-2, Wikoff 1-0-0-0, C. Colvin 3-1-1-0, Kinhalt 3-0-1-2, Osborn 2-0-0-0, Flack 3-0-1-0, K. Colvin 1-2-0-0, Young 0-0-0-0, Bailey 2-0-0-1, Hughes 3-0-0-0, Team 22-5-6-5.
Extra-Base Hits: Lucas HR
Peebles Hitting (AB-R-H-RBI):Mills 2-1-1-0, Knechtly 2-2-1-0, Mahan 3-3-3-2, Barr 2-0-1-1, Wesley 1-0-1-1, Lewis 3-0-1-0, Kyle 3-0-1-1, Roepke 2-0-0-0, Smart 1-0-0-0, Cluxton 2-0-1-0, Willoughby 2-0-0-0, Sowards 2-0-0-0, Team 25-6-10-5.
Extra-Base Hits: Mills 2B, Knechtly 2B, Cluxton 2B
Manchester Pitching: C. Colvin 5.1 IP, 7 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 3 BB, 5 K
Wikoff (L) 0 IP, 3H, 3R, 3 ER, 1 BB
Peebles Pitching: Roepke 3 IP, 5 H, 4 R, 4 ER, 2 BB, 3 K
Mahan 2 IP, 1 H, 1 R, 0 ER, 5 BB, 4K
Mills (W) 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 K