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Boys Latin captured their eighth-straight win on Wednesday behind left-hander Reese Hale, but the undefeated senior gave coach Mike Bordick some anxious moments in the last inning when a talented St. Vincent Pallotti squad would bat around in the top of the seventh and score five times, to make the game close.
Hale and his mates took a 6-0 lead into the last inning and he was cruising along with a five-hit shutout.
Adam Goodman and Corey Matheson would start the seventh with singles for the Panthers, putting runners on first and second, before Mark Brady popped to short for the first out of the inning. Then Lino Cressotti grounded to third, on what looked like a routine out, but the throw to first pulled first-baseman Josh Winters leaping off the bag. Cressotti collided with Winters on his way down the line, and the ball sailed over the firrst-sacker's head. Winters fell to the ground, and with all eyes focused on him, both Pallotti runners would race all the way around to give the Panthers their first two runs of the day against Hale.
With Cressotti on second, Pat Macnaught singled, and then P.J.Martindale hit a sinking liner to center that looked like it would drop. But, Laker centerfielder Huntley Mitchell made a spectacular shoe-string catch to help thwart the rally.
"I went all out to get it, and knew I'd have to dive," said the fleet outfielder.
With two on and two out, slugging Kieran Flannery caught a Hale fast ball and whacked it 320 feet over the left-centerfield fence, and, suddenly, a 6-0 lead was diminsihed to 6-5.
"He kept giving me the same pitches, so I sat on a fast ball and got my pitch," said Flannery. It was his fourth circuit clout
of the season.
Bordick would leave Hale in, even after catcher Kevin Hughes singled to center, to put the tieing run on.
Hale got Sam Stefanelli to fly to left to end it, and the Lakers had their eighth win in a row. The Lakers improved to 9-1 in the MIAA B Confernece, as they continue to lead the Red Divison.
"It was a tough battle today," said the former Oriole shortstop. "Fortunately we got to their pitcher first. We have great
senior leadership, and solid defense, and we were able to hold on to beat a very good team."
The Lakers turned four double-plays and got timely hitting. A two-run homer by Winters in the fifth turned out to be the difference in the game.
Pallotti coach Pat Courtemanche's Panthers fell to 5-2 in the Black Division of the conference, dropping into a tie for first with up and coming Friends School.
Boys' Latin 6, St. Vincent Pallotti 5
SVP 000 000 5 - 5 9 0
BL 003 120 x - 6 9 2
Stefanelli and Hughes; Hale and Schoanfeld
2B: BL-Mellinger, Mitchell.
HR: SVP-Flannery; BL-Winters.
WP: Hale LP: Stefanelli
