Don’t blame the Patrick Henry baseball team if they were looking forward to a few days off after a hectic week of action on the diamond.
With a good excuse at hand if anyone was suffering from sore legs and tired pitching arms, the Patriots instead rose to the occasion Friday afternoon at John Edwards Field to capture the Western Valley District baseball tournament final with a hard-fought 7-4 win over Franklin County.
Playing in its fourth game in just five days, PH came back from two early-inning deficits and a 4-4 tie heading to the fifth to claim its second tournament title in four years. In the end, the Eagles couldn’t come up with a late rally to overcome the late 3-run Patriot advantage.
After spotting Franklin County a 1-0 lead in the top of the first, PH answered with 2 runs in the bottom half of the inning.
Britt Dunnavant’s single followed a Jimmy Butler base on balls to put runners at first and second. A pair of taylor-made double play grounders were both mishandled on the relay to first, giving the Patriots their first run of the inning. After a passed ball moved runners to second and third, Austin Lowman delivered a sharp single that plated the second PH run before trailing runner Xavier Espinosa was gunned down at the plate on a perfect throw to Eagle catcher Ryan Peevey.
Franklin County retook the lead in the second after a wild pitch scored one and a double-steal produced the second run of the inning for a 3-2 Eagle lead.
PH scored twice in the third. After Butler drew a base on balls, Dunnavant sent a slicing drive down the left field line, scoring Butler. Later in the inning, Evan Deyerle connected on a clutch RBI single that put the Patriots back on top 4-3.
The Eagles tied things at 4 in the top of the fourth on a Peevey RBI single, but Franklin County left the bases loaded and would never produce another run the rest of the afternoon as PH reliever Alec Brown shut the door on any further damage. Brown worked the final four innings in picking up the win.
Patrick Henry took advantage of Brown’s performance, adding a run in the fifth and two in the sixth to pull away.
Butler had a pair of hits and two walks from the leadoff spot for PH. Dunnavant added three hits and two RBIs. Deyerle and Thomas Stockstill combined for four more of the twelve total Patrick Henry hits.
PH advanced to today’s (Thurs. May 23rd) Northwest Region playoff game set for Edwards Field.
by Bill Turner
