Using the long ball can be decisive in high school baseball.
Fifteen foot rollers can be damaging as well.
Taking advantage of two fielding miscues on sacrifice bunts in the second extra inning, Hidden Valley plated three runs on its way to the 6-2 win over William Byrd in 9 innings Saturday afternoon at Gary Walthall Field in Vinton.
The 2:30 matinee had developed into a pitching duel through the first six innings of regulation between a pair of talented lefties.
Byrd’s Reed Cooper gave up singles to the first three Titan batters he faced to open the game, which Hidden Valley turned into two runs after back-to-back fielder’s choice groundouts. Cooper then shut the Titans down over the next five innings.
On the Titan mound, Luke Marston was sailing along until the Terriers loaded the bases on three walks in the bottom of the sixth, scoring two after Conner Hoback was hit by a pitch with two outs and a Tanner Willis single.
Ben Belcher relieved Cooper to start the seventh and with Titan Hayes Nelson on second, Byrd third baseman Dean Hermanson made a highlight reel pick and throw to first for the third out to keep things tied.
Hidden Valley loaded the bases in the 8th with one out, but Belcher got a rare pitcher to catcher to first double play that ended the Titan threat.
Titan reliever Jack Henry, who came to the mound with one aboard in the Byrd 7th, held the Terriers scoreless over the final three innings.
Hidden Valley finally broke things open to start the 9th.
Sean O’Connell got things going with a double off the right-center field fence.
Hidden Valley, which had passed on two earlier bunt situations, then had Cam Sine lay down a sacrifice that was throw past first, scoring O’Connell, with Sine moving to second.
After Nelson was intentionally walked, the Titans went to the bunt again and lightning struck twice. Billy Howe’s perfect roller in front of the mound was thrown into the Byrd bullpen down the right field line, scoring Sine and Nelson. The Titans would add another run on a Hunter Boone single and the 6-2 lead held up as Byrd went quietly in the bottom of the ninth.
Bill Turner
