CHESTER, Pa. – The deciding conference series for the final playoff spot comes down to late-inning run support for the Widener Pride to comeback in both ends of the doubleheader to beat the Blazers 5-4 and 8-6 on Saturday afternoon.
In the Batter's Box
AJ Haines (Arlington, Va./Bishop O'Connell) reached base four times on the day and drove in two runs.
Jack Patterson (Boyds, Md./Northwest) had two RBIs and scored a run.
Matthew Stout (Coatesville, Pa./Coatesville) had two extra-base hits on the day, a triple and a double.
On the Mound
Mason Sawyers (Culpeper, Va./Culpeper County) pitched the entirety of game one and gave up three earned runs while striking out two.
Finn Scott-Daniels (Annandale, Va./Annandale) got the no decision after allowing two runs on three hits in three innings pitched in game two.
From the Bullpen
Aaron Heller (Philadelphia, Pa./Jack Barrack Hebrew Acad.) pitched five innings of relief in game two and allowed one earned run on five hits while sitting down two batters.
Widener 5, Hood 4
Two bags was the name of the game for the Blazers in the top half of the doubleheader, with the top of the second starting with Patterson ripped a double to right followed by
Amrit Brown (Asheville, N.C./Asheville) trading places to score the first run.
Jonathan Tyndall (Felton, Del./Lake Forest) was plunked later in the inning before
AJ Haines (Arlington, Va./Bishop O'Connell) in his second time up served a double to the opposite field to score another two.
The bottom half found the Pride with two on and nobody out, Sawyers worked a strikeout and a popfly to center to create a ender for the inning. Calderban of Widener served a ball to right to break the goose egg and create the 3-1.
The middle innings were quiet with bend and maybe crack, but no breaks. Both teams tacked on another run, another RBI single for the hosts and another RBI double by
Quade Gannon (Felton, Del./Lake Forest) and the visitors.
Even with the solo homer in the sixth by Widener, Hood found themselves in good shape to hold up what had been a low scoring series between the two. A hit by pitch to start the ninth put the tying run on, and two groundballs moved that runner to 90 feet away.
And just like that with two strikes, a groundball to shortstop resulted in an error and the tying run scored. Moments later, a double by McKenna of Widener spoiled Hood's playoff plans.
Widener 8, Hood 6
After the 2-0 deficit for the Blazers occurred via homer, Tyndall legs out three bags from a poke to right center and Gannon finishes the job with a single in response. Errors by both catchers later in the fifth added runs on both sides before back-to-back singles by
Keegan Brennan (Lake Wynonah, Pa./Nativity BVM) and Haines and a free pass by
Ty Broughton (Charles Town, W.Va./Washington) score on a Patterson knock to put Hood back on top.
Another error by the Pride scores another run for the Blazers with the error by the first baseman and the no out rally continues with a Tyndall knock to extend 6-3.
Just as in game one, sparks ignited flames. Widener used its leadoff batter to reach aboard via error. Two pinch runners and two doubles later it was a tied game. The Blazers were walked off once again as a two-run homer snatched another conference game out of the hands of the Blue & Grey.
Notes
Hood falls to 11-24, 6-12 in conference and is eliminated from playoff contention.
Widener improves to 19-16, 11-7 in the MAC Commonwealth and clinches the No. 4 spot.
Up Next
The squad will take on the nonconference opponent in Neumann for nine innings on the road on Tuesday, April 22 with first pitch set for 3:30 p.m..
