JPII downs rival Irish
HENDERSONVILLE – Ryan Robertson had no intention of being pulled in what might have been his last start on the mound against Father Ryan on Tuesday.
The Pope John Paul II High left-handed pitcher convinced coach Michael Brown to let him finish the game, and he did so in earning his team a 7-3 victory over the visiting Irish.
Robertson went the distance, throwing 112 pitches in striking out seven Irish batters, walking three and allowing six hits in the victory.
In the sixth, JPII coach Michael Brown thought about relieving his ace with Mason Hickman, but the senior talked him out of it.
"He first asked me in the sixth if I could go, and I said 'yes, sir,'" Robertson said. "When I walked back to the dugout (after the top of the sixth), he said 'we're going to put Mason (Hickman) in,' and I was like 'Coach, it's my senior year, it's Father Ryan of all game. Let me finish it.'"
Robertson promptly rewarded his coach by striking out the side despite giving up one of three walks in the game.
"Felt real good about that," Robertson said. "I felt like I was using my legs more there at the end and I had some more 'oomph' on the ball."
Robertson finished the game in style, retiring Father Ryan in order in the seventh.
"We were planning on taking him out after the sixth, but he came over here – unless we play them in the playoffs, this is his last start against Father Ryan – and he said he wanted the ball," Brown said. "For all that he's done for this program, I'll give him the ball."
The Knights (16-6, 7-4 Division II-AA East/Middle) never trailed, jumping to a 3-0 lead in the first against Irish starter Nick Richter.
Ben Brooks reached on the first of four Father Ryan errors to lead off the first, and Pace Dempsey laid down one of three sacrifice bunts he had on the night to push Brooks to scoring position.
Logan Taylor's double scored Brooks, and Robertson singled in Taylor two pitches later. Robertson's courtesy runner, Brandon Staggs, came in on Jacob Reed's line drive single to right field for the third run.
"We had more quality at-bats in the first inning than we did the whole game Monday," Brown said. "I think we just went back to our approach. We were just being short (with swings) and getting the ball in play, and making them play defense and that helped us a little."
The Irish got two runs back in the second, as Jack Flanagan singled in John O'Dwyer and Cameron Towns scored on a Daniel Rock groundout.
But JPII wasn't done with the offense, and the Knights quickly reestablished a three-run lead in the bottom half of the second inning.
Brooks led off with a single, Dempsey sacrificed again – but reached on an error – and an error at first base allowed Robertson to reach and Brooks to score for a 4-2 lead.
Dempsey scored on a passed ball moments later and the Knights led 5-2 after two innings.
It was enough run support for Robertson.
"(Monday), we gave them a couple of runs off of errors and we couldn't hit the ball at all," Robertson said. "Tonight, we changed it, and it made a big difference. We were ready for the pitches and we hit the ball well."
Two more JPII runs in the third provided extra cushion, as Reed reached on a one-out error and advanced to third on Dalton Smith's single through the left side of the infield. Brooks followed it with a single of his own in nearly the same spot to score Reed, and Dempsey's third sacrifice bunt allowed Smith to score on the squeeze play.
Robertson gave up a run in the fifth when O'Dwyer singled in Kirby Simpson, but the Irish failed to get any closer.
"I was just real anxious (for the game)," Robertson said. "It's very big. Both teams are juiced back, chirping back and forth to each other."
Ryan 3, JPII 0
The Knights were perhaps even more jazzed for Tuesday's contest after a disappointing performance in Monday's season opener at Father Ryan.
The Knights managed only four hits while committing four errors and walking five batters. Father Ryan had only three hits in the game themselves, but came away with a 3-0 win after the game was delayed by lightning and then eventually suspended due to darkness in the bottom of the sixth.
Dalton Smith had two of the four JPII hits, while Robertson and Austin Hayes accounted for the others.
"We were as bad at the plate (Monday) as we have been all year," Brown said. "We just weren't hitting the ball. We were swinging at bad pitches, we were undisciplined at the plate."
Jack Gallagher started on the mound for the Knights and took the loss, giving up all three runs in the fourth inning. Mark Botsko pitched the final two innings before the game was called.
Cameron Towns earned the complete-game victory for the Irish, striking out three batters and walking none in his six innings of work.
"(Towns) was throwing three pitches," Brown said. "He was getting ahead in the count."
Brendan Jordan had two of the three Irish hits and Kirby Simpson came up with the other Father Ryan base hit.
Neither team recorded an extra-base hit in the contest.
The series was scheduled to conclude at Father Ryan on Wednesday, and the Knights will return to action on Monday at 6 p.m. against LaSalle (Cincinnati) High.
Father Ryan 020 010 0 – 3 6 4
Pope John Paul II 322 000 x – 7 10 1
Nick Richter and John O'Dwyer; Ryan Robertson and Jacob Telli. W – Robertson. L – Richter. HR – none.
Monday's game
Pope John Paul II 000 000 – 0 4 4
Father Ryan 000 30x – 3 3 0
Game called in sixth due to weather.
Jack Gallagher, Mark Botsko (4) and Jacob Telli; Cameron Towns and John O'Dwyer. W – Towns. L – Gallagher. HR – none.