WINDSOR — Rutland High scored the tying run in unusual fashion, then used a couple of ordinary methods to tack on two more runs on the way to a 4-2 win over Windsor on Wednesday afternoon at a chilly MacLeay-Royce Field.
A high school baseball season opener is bound to have its usual learning miscues, but this was a well-played game by two teams with rich baseball histories. The tying run, however, certainly was strange.
Trailing 2-1 in the fourth inning, the Raiders started their rally with a single from Zach Bates, who stole second base and advanced to third on an error while Justin Aiken reached first. Like Bates, Aiken quickly swiped second on a day when the Raiders stole seven bases.
Rutland designated hitter Lucas Cornell then sent a one-hopper to Windsor right fielder Dan Cardillo, who threw Cornell out at first while Bates scored to tie the game. Aiken moved to third on the play and was squeezed home by Bill Hemenway with the go-ahead run. Rutland tacked on an insurance run in the fifth inning on a sacrifice fly.
“A little October baseball in April,” Rutland coach Matt Bloomer said about the final two runs.
Ben Simpson was the winning pitcher for the Raiders, tossing the first five innings, with Bates going the final two frames for the save. Simpson threw three innings of no-hit ball after Windsor tagged him for a pair of early runs. Bates had to pitch out of some trouble in the seventh, when the first two Windsor batters reached and were sacrificed along. But Bates got two strikeouts to end the game.
“Our pitchers settled down on a cold day,” Bloomer said.
Windsor also got solid pitching, as Robert Slocum went the first six innings. While he was charged with all four runs, only two ofwhich were earned.
Windsor coach Jamie Richardson, while never happy to come out a loser, was nonetheless happy overall. One of then reasons he was upbeat was the relief job from Grayson Fraser, who came on with one out in the seventh inning and the bases loaded to strike out the final two Rutland batters.
“I think we are always going to be in the game when Robert is pitching and how about Grayson Fraser,” Richardson said. “I’m excited about what I saw today. It’s hard to figure some things out without any scrimmages. We’re probably going to have to go through a bunch of different lineups early in the season to see, who belongs where.”
Windsor scored single runs in the first and second innings. In the first, Dylan Hodgdon’s two-out blooper to right scored Justin Smith, who walked. An inning later, Josh Gaudette (single) scored on Caleb Meagher’s groundout.
Simpson then retired the next eight Windsor batters in order.
While Windsor had five hits, the hardest might have come off the bat to Cardillo, who crunched a ball to center that was hauled in by Justin Aker after a long run.
“We’ll get better,” Richardson said. “Rutland is always a strong team.”
Rutland’s Nos. 8 and 9 batters reached base in five of six opportunities and played a big part in the first run as Sean Olson walked, Tanner Merrill singled and Olson scored on an infield out.
Windsor goes to Mill River on Friday. Rutland is off until Essex comes to town on April 18.