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Ninth Inning Run Propels Firebirds Past Mariners 3-2
June 24, 2010
By Tyler Maland
After the Firebirds lost their 2-1 lead in the seventh on a sacrifice fly by Harwich's Aaron Conway (Missouri St.), they manufactured a run against the until-then unblemished Harwich reliever Braden Kapeteyn (Kentucky). With one out, designated hitter Danny Muno (Fresno St.) started the rally by turning on a Kapeteyn fastball, sending it deep down the right field line for a double. The flustered Kapeteyn walked Firebirds leadoff man Kolten Wong (Hawai'i) and threw a wild pitch to put both runners in scoring position with one out. Kapeteyn then hit Kevin Muno (San Diego) in the head - he was alright, and stayed in the game - setting up a bases loaded, one out situation with nowhere to put Orleans slugger Steve Selsky (Arizona). Cognizant of Kapeteyn's control problems and the dire need for a run, Selsky crowded the plate and took an inside fastball off the elbow to send home the go-ahead run.
Matty Ott (LSU) replaced Kapeteyn and retired the next two hitters on a strikeout and a fielder's choice, but one run was all Orleans reliever Kenny Long (Illinois St.) needed. Long (pictured left), who entered the game with one out in the seventh, earned the win (2-1), tossing 2 2/3 scoreless innings. The crafty lefty struck out the first two hitters of the ninth looking, and thought he had done the same with Conway, but Long's 2-2 pitch was called just outside, and Conway earned a walk. With the tying run on first, Long calmly induced a fly-out by Brian Goodwin (UNC) to end the game.
Harwich's tying run in the seventh was no easy feat. With the bases loaded and one out, Conway smacked a line drive to left field off of Orleans reliever Burny Mitchem (Dayton), giving the runner on third base, John Hicks (Virginia), a chance to tag up. Kevin Muno caught Conway's offering on the fly and made a perfect throw to home, where Firebirds catcher Matt Koch (Loyola Marymount) scooped it cleanly on his right side and dove left to make the tag. Hicks slid around the tag but missed the plate, and as both players dove a second time towards the plate, it was Hicks who arrived first to even the score at 2-2. Long entered to face the next hitter and ended the inning with a pop out to second.
Cameron Hobson (Dayton) made his second start of the year for Orleans and was effective in six innings, allowing four hits and one run, a homer by Goodwin in the sixth.
Adam Morgan (Alabama) started for Harwich and also went six, giving up six hits and two earned runs with one walk and four strikeouts. Three of those Firebirds hits came from Will Piwnica-Worms (Duke), who continues to swing a hot stick. Piwnica-Worms singled home Selsky for Orleans's first run in the fourth inning, and Matt Koch (Loyola Marymount) picked up an RBI single in the sixth to make it 2-0.
After compiling just two hits in his first 17 at-bats of the season, Piwnica-Worms has gone 8-for-15 since then and has a five game hit streak. Austin Nola (LSU) went 2-for-4 for Harwich, the only Mariner with multiple hits.
The Firebirds, now 5-5, are back home at 7:00 p.m. Friday evening against the YD Red Sox. Harwich drops to 3-7, and will host Chatham on Friday at 7:00 p.m.
View Cameron Hobson's Post-Game Interview