The Bears faced off in a fierce battle against the Archbishop Riordan Knights on Tuesday night, winning 5-2 off a fourth-inning rally.
Senior pitcher Jack Molise started the game off for the Bears but faced some trouble in the first inning after surrendering two singles that put runners at the corners with one out. After letting the runner from first base steal second, Molise struck out a batter and forced a groundout at first to end the jam.
Sophomore center fielder Merrick Lee led off the batting order for the Bears, managing to reach first base on an error. Junior second baseman Ryder Kelly was eager to get Lee into scoring position, barreling a pitch all the way to the wall that put runners at second and third. However, two consecutive outs would flip the Bears’ favor over to the Crusaders as Lee and Kelly were held where they were. The Bears’ early threats ended on a groundout by senior first baseman Jimmy Zaharias.
The Crusaders continued their offensive drive into the second inning. While Molise established control early, swiftly sawing through the first two outs with a three-pitch strikeout and a forced groundout, a gritty at-bat led to the Crusaders reaching base off a sharp groundball that blew past the middle infield, and a successful drag bunt extended the inning longer than the Bears anticipated.
M-A eventually regained control over the Crusaders’ offense, however, forcing a 6-3 putout to sever Riordans’ late-inning drive. “I felt pretty calm,” Jack Molise said, “I knew that if I threw strikes, my defense would make plays behind me.”
The bottom half of the second was uneventful for the Bears. Junior utility player Masataka Shudo led off the inning, showing great plate discipline, he got into an early 2-0 count but eventually struck out looking. A grounder that got past third base put a runner on first, but this wouldn’t ignite a rally as a lineout and strikeout by senior third baseman Ronan Cutright unceremoniously ended the inning with a runner stranded.
The Bears yet again experienced mounting pressure from the Crusaders’ offense. A pop-out from Riordans’ leadoff hitter gave the Bears their first out, but a dropped third put a runner at first. The Crusaders, eager to put the Bears’ defense on edge, quickly had their runner reach second off a pitch in the dirt. A sac-fly allowed the runner to reach third base, but with two outs, the offensive pressure was relieved from the Bears as a strikeout ended the top of the third.
“There were a lot of ball games left,” Kelly said. “We just kept playing our ball, getting runs in and shutting them down.”
A lead-off single from Lee jump started a stagnant Bears’ offense. A danger on the base path, Lee wasted no time reaching second on a past ball. A subsequent blooper to center field allowed Kelly to reach first, moving Lee to third in the process. Desperate to capitalize on their golden opportunity to score, Lee sprinted home on a grounder to third. Unfortunately for the Bears, a close play at the plate kept the game tied.
Despite coming up empty-handed, M-A still sported two runners on and was nearing home plate. A walk loaded the bases and a sac-fly finally put the Bears on the board 1-0. Shudo drove in another run with a base hit and squeezed the defense tighter with a steal attempt that caused the ball to bounce off a defender. This allowed the runner from third to easily score, putting the game at 3-0 for the Bears. A line drive that was caught by an outfielder stopped the bleeding for the Crusaders.
The Bears hoped to capitalize on their momentum, threatening another run as they put a runner in scoring position after a fierce at-bat which eventually ended with a walk. Another walk in four pitches put runners on first and second with two out. A screamer to center had the Bears frantically attempting to score, but the runner was tagged out at the plate to put an end to the inning.
The top of the fifth was a crucial inning for Riordan. The Bears swapped Molise on the mound for senior pitcher Tyler Rosenthal. Unfortunately for the Crusaders, a quick flyout to center and strikeout almost closed the curtains early for them. While they were able to get a runner on first off a ground ball the shortstop couldn’t get off in time, a climatic strikeout with the count full ended their half of the inning.
Momentum was clearly all in the Bears’ favor as they scored two extra insurance runs, with junior infielder MJ Ellazar pinch-hitting and batting in a run off an opposite-field base hit. A groundout ended the inning for the Bears with a score of 5-0.
The Bears sent in junior pitcher Caden Lewis as a relief pitcher to close the game for the Bears. While Riordan put up a valiant effort in a final inning rally, scoring two runs, it was all too late for them as a flyout with two outs extinguished what was left of the Crusaders’ fire.
“I felt a little nervous, but it was more like adrenaline pumping in my nerves,” Lewis said. “It felt good to have a lead on my back, and I just attacked them.”
The Bears return to the home field on Saturday against the Saint Francis Lancers at 12 p.m.
