The script played out before, so
Senior first baseman Logan Maxwell lined a bases-loaded single to
left with one out in the bottom of the seventh inning Saturday, lifting the
Golden Tornado to a 2-1 Section 1-AAAA baseball opening win over
“You can feel the difference,”
Maxwell ended the inning by being thrown out at the plate while
trying to score on Ryan Vero's bloop single to right.
The game remained tied entering the last of the seventh. No. 9
hitter Luke Baranchak hit a pop fly that came down just behind the pitcher's
mound.
“That's a tough play for a pitcher,”
After Werth walked, Goslaw again executed a sacrifice bunt,
moving runners to second and third. Cory Wheeler was intentionally walked to
load the bases.
Maxwell then drilled Graziani's first pitch into left field for
the game-winning hit.
“Those two bunts laid down by Goslaw were as big as any plays in
this game,” Erdos said. “This was a solid team win. We executed, got good
pitching and timely hitting.”
Maxwell said he hit an inside fastball for both of his singles on
the day.
“He struck me out with an inside fastball on my first at bat,”
Maxwell said. “I figured he might come back in there again and try to tie me
up. I was ready for it.
“Getting that hit (to tie the game) earlier was a big confidence
boost for me during that last at bat.”
Jesse Savisky pitched the first six innings for the Tornado,
throwing 50 of his 78 pitches for strikes. He walked Julian Cox and Graziani
back-to-back with one out in the sixth — the only two free passes he issued all
day.
“I didn't want him throwing more than 80 pitches today,” Erdos
said. “Jesse began leaving some pitches up, a sign he was getting tired. He
gave us a great effort.”
Wyatt Daugherty got the win in relief, allowing one hit in the
seventh.
Graziani,
“He struck out 16 in his first outing against Reynolds,” Malley
said. “Mark threw the ball well. He deserved better.
“Our three wins this year have been walk-offs. I guess one was
due to go the other way.”
1 out when winning run scored
W: Wyatt Daugherty 1IP (0K, 0BB). L: Mark Graziani 6.1IP (2K,
5BB).