By Phil Murphy
Content Editor, DigitalSports.com
**Check below the story to view game highlights. All highlights posted. Re-live the game in 12 min, 31 sec plus post-game interviews.**
The bases-loaded, tie-game, extra-inning scenario is one simulated by millions of aspiring baseball players throughout the country during their childhood. Almost assuredly, none of them picture their heroics playing out as they did Tuesday night for Marshall shortstop Kevin Nutter.
On a 3-1 pitch, the junior grounded back to South Lakes relief pitcher Paul Kirchner, who scooped the ball and fired home for the first out of a potentially inning-ending double play. However, the throw home from Kirchner – the teams’ starting first baseman – was too high for Bucknell-bound catcher Scott Reed to gather, and Marshall senior Austin McNabb crossed the plate for the game-winning run.
The Statesmen defeated the Seahawks for the third time this season, 4-3 in eight innings, to avoid elimination and advance to the quarterfinal round of the Liberty District tournament tomorrow, when they’ll face Langley.
“[When it was hit], I’m thinking that it’s at least one out and hopefully the guy can beat it out at first base and we’ll have another opportunity,” Marshall coach Jim Jullien said. “I felt for [South Lakes Coach] Galvin [Morris] when I saw the throw because I knew the game was over.
“You like to win. But you want it to be a positive thing on your part and not a negative thing on someone else’s part.”
The ending was made even more bitter for South Lakes considering how Tuesday’s game began. The Seahawks (4-12 overall) took a three-run lead in off Statesman junior starting pitcher Greg Goldsmith, beginning the offensive surge at the game’s outset.
Goldsmith’s first pitch of the game was a called strike. His second was a called shot.
Seahawk leado-ff batter Noah Sweet, a first-team All-Liberty District outfielder, crushed the 0-1 offering over the left-center field wall — the deepest part of Sissler Field — for a solo home run, his second this year.
South Lakes added two runs on a double by Kirchner five batters later to take a 3-0 advantage after the top half of the first, and appeared as though it would avenge its 4-0 loss to Marshall on Saturday.
“We were comfortable,” said Morris, who graduates seven seniors. “We talked about getting off to an early lead and we did that. We did what we’re supposed to do. We had just played them Saturday and scouting [Goldsmith], we tried to get ahead, obviously. We wanted to jump on that first pitch.”
But Marshall (9-9), as it had done twice already this year against South Lakes, found its swing. A two-out, two-run double to left-center field by Nutter in the fourth inning cut South Lakes’ margin to a single run. And with senior ace Justin Britt coming in from the bullpen to retire all 12 batters he faced, the score remained 3-2 until the bottom of the sixth.
With two outs and no one on base, Statesmen junior Aaron Gooding stepped to the plate with his team just four outs from season elimination. However, the third baseman – and defensive back for Marshall’s football team – hit his first home run of the season over the 325-feet mark in right-center field to knot the score at 3 and force extra innings.
“The contact was nice and it just went,” said Gooding, the Statesmen No. 9 hitter. “[Rounding the bases], I didn’t know to run fast, run slow. I didn’t know what to do.”
One at-bat before the game-winning ground out, Gooding’s opportunity to provide a home-run sequel in the bottom of the eighth was stymied when Morris elected to intentionally walk him to set up a force out at every base.
With runners on first and third and one out, that South Lakes move may have been a blessing in disguise for Marshall.
“Coach Jullien asked me if I knew what a squeeze was and I had no idea what he was talking about,” Gooding said. “I was like ‘Oh, God.’ But then they put me on, so it was alright.”
Email: pmurphy@digitalsports.com
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