The Hargrave varsity baseball team took to action on Tuesday in the first round of the VIC Championships beating North Cross 3-0. Hargrave played its best game of the year at the biggest time of the season, committing no errors, getting a solid shutout pitching performance from Spence Walker and getting the timely hitting when needed. The guys have battled playing conditions, fought through the weather bug, and are playing they’re best baseball at the right time.
With a scoreless ball game through the first two innings Hargrave got on the board in the third, all with two outs in the inning. Walker walked to get the inning going, followed by a rocket by Cadet Braden Barnett that North Cross third baseman could not come up with putting runners on second and third. Cadet Mack Long came to the plate and got his first hit of the contest, a single up the middle plating Walker to take the lead 1-0. The tigers contained North Cross in the top of the fourth after a leadoff single, never letting them get past second base and keeping the score at Hargraves advantage 1-0.
The Tigers got on the score board again in the fifth inning wit ha leadoff single by Cadet Ryan Castellano, Barnett grounding into a fielders choice, and Cadet Zach Ruffin hitting a double down the left field line plating Barnett for Hargrave’s second run of them game.
In the sixth inning, Cadet Nick Paul laced a line drive over the shortstops head, Cadet Sadat Slade reached on a throwing error by North Cross third baseman, and Cadet Keegan Ferer came through with a perfect sacrafice hit that scored Paul from third giving Hargrave in a 3-0 lead, all the Tiger’s would need.
Cadet Spence Walker threw seven shutout innings for the first time this season, giving up only three hits, walking one batter and striking out seven North Cross hitters. Offensively for the Tigers, Long, and Paul each had two hits, Ferer, Castellano and Ruffin all contributed with a hit each.
Your tigers advanced to the semifinals to take on LCA Thursday at LCA for a 4:30 start time. Please if you guys can make the trip, come out to support the guys in what could be a heck of a ball game against two really good teams.
