The win slipped right through the baseball team’s fingers in a close 6-5 match against the Sacred Heart Gators on Saturday evening.
The game took place in Stanford’s Sunken Diamond, a unique venue that has become a part of M-A tradition. The first inning began with the Bears on defense and senior pitcher Max Brubacher on the mound. The Gators quickly snatched first base, but Brubacher struck out their second batter, stalling Sacred Heart’s offense momentarily.
The Gators’ next batter nailed a ball to third, where freshman third baseman Oliver Coupe caught it and sent it sailing to first base, resulting in Sacred Heart’s second out. Moments later, senior shortstop Ryder Kelly caught a pop fly, bringing the top of the first inning to a close.
The Bears started their offense with freshman first baseman Owen Coupe sending a ball to left field, where it was snagged by a Sacred Heart outfielder. Still, M-A kept the energy high as Kelly raced to first base and then stole second with a last-minute dive. Unfortunately, senior designated hitter MJ Ellazar struck out, ending the first inning 0-0.
The second inning began poorly for the Bears, as the Gators methodically took one base after another. The third Sacred Heart batter walked, sending one Gator home and bringing the score up to 1-0. The next batter’s ball was caught in right field, but not before another Sacred Heart runner made it home, widening the gap to 2-0.
Thankfully, senior second baseman Joe Pagee* fielded the next ball and sent it to first, recording the third out and giving M-A another chance at offense.
Despite a couple of short hits and walks, the Bears struggled on offense and couldn’t find a chance to score before reaching their third out.
The third inning got off to a rocky start for M-A, as the Gators sent another runner home through stolen bases to increase their score to 3-0. Once again, Pagee fielded a ball to end Sacred Heart’s at bat, and the Bears returned to the plate ready for a comeback.
Ow. Coupe and Kelly made good hits and took second and third base, respectively. The stadium grew tense as Ellazar sent a hit to third base, with Ow. Coupe and Kelly poised to up M-A’s score. Although Ellazar got out, he gave the other two the chance they needed to make it home, narrowing the gap to 3-2.
Sophomore right fielder Luke Ten Vaanholt stepped up to bat next and quickly took third. Freshman hitter Jake Scott flew out, but Ten Vaanholt took advantage of the situation and made it to home, bringing the two teams to an even 3-3.
“I think our energy was good throughout the game,” Ten Vaanholt said. “I think we just need to do the little things better.”
Emboldened by their comeback, the Bears locked the Gators down on defense before they could muster any momentum. However, M-A struggled just as much against Sacred Heart’s cannon-armed pitcher, with junior left fielder Merrick Lee and Pagee striking out and bringing the fourth inning to a premature close.
The Bears faced trouble at the beginning of the fifth inning, as a series of steals ultimately led to the Gators getting another run, bringing the score up to 4-3. However, senior pitcher Wes Peterson was quick to halt this momentum, striking out the next Sacred Heart batter for the third out. The crowd went wild, and Ow. Coupe stepped up to the plate.
Ow. Coupe took advantage of a series of Gator mistakes, stealing bases until he made it home. M-A couldn’t manage to capitalize on this, and the inning ended at an even 4-4.
The sixth inning was tense and defensive. The Bears put a quick end to Sacred Heart’s offensive effort, but struggled just the same when at bat, and the inning ended scoreless.
“We played together as a team. We pulled from one rope,” Lee said.
Senior pitcher Gianni Olivero took the mound at the top of the seventh and walked two batters, resulting in bases loaded for the Gators. Despite Olivero striking out the next batter and senior center fielder Masataka Shudo catching a deep ball, two Sacred Heart runners still got through, building a decisive late-game lead of 6-4.
Pagee hit a single to get on base, and was followed by senior catcher Jack Willbanks, who hit three fouls in a row before driving a deep bomb into left field for a double. Pagee made it home, and the crowd erupted in applause as the gap shrank to 6-5.
Despite the Bears’ best effort, they couldn’t manage another run, and the final inning ended with a score of 6-5, a narrow loss for M-A.
“It was a surreal experience for sophomore season. The atmosphere is great, the fans are great,” Ten Vaanholt said.
The Bears will face off against the Live Oak Acorns at home on Monday at 4 p.m.
*Joe Pagee is a journalist for the M-A Chronicle.
