White River Junction
That’s certainly the case after this year’s host of the Vermont state tournament had to fight tooth and nail to defeat S.D. Ireland, 10-9, in 10 innings on Saturday at the Maxfield Sports Complex.
Hunter Perkins singled home Tyler Hamilton with the bases loaded and two out to end the game around 9:20 p.m., resulting in a leaping, screaming mob behind first base and then various boxing poses from players and coaches whose motto this season is “Put ’em up.”
“Way to abuse that change-up,” S.D. Ireland pitcher Liam Reiner said to Perkins shortly after the teams exchanged handshakes. A sweaty Perkins smiled and patted his adversary on the shoulder. The rising Hartford High senior singled in his first at-bat, then flew out and struck out twice each in his next four plate appearances before his deciding hit.
“I kept getting out on my front foot and getting fooled by pitches,” Perkins said. “Last year, I would have melted down and not been able to overcome it. But from the beginning of this year, I’ve been better at dealing with frustration and realizing that you’re playing for your team and not just for yourself.”
The squads’ first-round game was scheduled for a 4 p.m. start but kicked off more than an hour late because an earlier contest in the eight-team event had also gone 10 frames.
The five-day tournament’s first two days are comprised of seven-inning games, so the two extended games meant six extra panels of baseball that were crammed into the action at Maxfield. Starting Monday, play will go at least nine innings unless weather intercedes or the 10-run rule is invoked.
White River Junction faces the Orleans-Essex-Caledonia Kings at 4 p.m. today. OEC, headquartered in Lyndon, clobbered Brattleboro on Saturday, 8-0. Colchester, an 11-1 victor over Bellows Falls, faces Franklin County at 7 p.m.
Brattleboro faces Hinesburg-based S.D. Ireland at 10 a.m. in an elimination game, followed by another such contest at 1 p.m. between Rutland and Bellows Falls.
Post 84 stranded 16 runners and it appeared the hosts might leave two more in what became its final at-bat. Robert Slocum and Austin Gaudette struck out to begin the home half of the 10th inning before leadoff man Hamilton beat out an infield hit, Ryland Richardson singled through the infield’s right side and Jacob Perkins walked.
Hunter Perkins was up next and took a pitch roughly at his collar bone. Strike one. The home dugout howled. A foul ball and now Post 84 was a strike away from staggering into the 11th inning, but No. 25 came through.
“That was a tough at-bat,” said White River Junction coach Jarrod Grassi, whose team lost in the tournament final two years ago and in the semifinals last summer. “This is a game of failure, and he handles it better now. He got a good swing on that last pitch and just flipped it into the outfield.”
Hunter Perkins started on the mound and allowed 10 hits and eight runs in three innings. His team trailed, 2-0, in the first inning, led, 5-4, after two frames and was down, 8-6, after three panels. Slocum threw the next 2⅔ innings, allowing two hits and no runs, a crucial bridge to ace Jordy Allard, who entered with two outs in the sixth and went the rest of the way.
Allard’s night included 4⅓ innings, three hits, no runs, 10 strikeouts and four walks. The fireballer inherited a runner on second and walked the first three batters he faced, the last free pass handing S.D. Ireland its last run of the game.
White River Junction led, 9-8, after four innings and had numerous chances to put the game away. The hosts left the bases loaded in the third and fourth innings and stranded two runners in the first, second, seventh and ninth.
Of concern for Post 84 is its defense. Center fielder Brady Clark dropped a fly ball and overran one on the ground. Jacob Perkins, a rising Lyndon State sophomore, overran a ball and got a late break on another, instead diving and having it bounce off his glove. Gaudette also bobbled a ball in the left field corner and Moises Celaya couldn’t handle a grounder at third base.
Hamilton had a double, a walk and an RBI. Richardson had three singles and an RBI. Jacob Perkins had three singles and two walks. White River Junction had 16 fly-outs during the game.
Notes: Post 84’s players all wore their pants cuffed below the knees. Four of its five coaches went with the long pants look. The fifth coach, John O’Hara, split the difference with one pant leg up and one down. … Assistant coach Jamie Richardson revealed that during his Windsor High team’s state title season two years ago, he wore the same pair of green underwear for every game. The undies were retired after the crown was secured and hang in a spot of honor in his home. … Seth Balch, a rising senior at Windsor High and a member of last season’s Post 84 squad, played for Bellows Falls.
Tris Wykes can be reached at twykes@vnews.com or 603-727-3227.