Cook's Bases-Loaded Walk Keeps Silverdale Unbeaten

Senior Center Fielder Has Five RBIs As Seahawks Nip CCS In 6-5 Thriller

  • Tuesday, April 10, 2018
  • John Hunt

Silverdale’s Chase Cook has gotten more attention for his pitching than his hitting, but he was the star at the plate Tuesday afternoon as the Seahawks remained unbeaten after 13 games with a 6-5 victory over Chattanooga Christian.

After collecting four runs batted in on his first two at-bats, he got the game-winner on a bases-loaded walk with two outs in the seventh.

These two teams had an old-fashioned slugfest at CCS on Monday with the Seahawks prevailing by a final of 13-9.

Tuesday’s game was totally different, but with the game on the line in the bottom of the seventh, Silverdale somehow found a way to win.

John Rhodes had come in to relieve southpaw Nathaniel Kapp in the sixth inning and he was a tough-luck loser.

With the score tied at 5-5 going to the bottom of the seventh, Silverdale’s Caleb Stafford led off with a sharp single to center.  Colin Lovell then attempted a sacrifice bunt, but everyone was safe when Rhodes’ throw was high at second.

Sawyer Junkins, who had half of the Seahawks six hits, reached on an infield error by the Chargers to load the bases with nobody out.

Rhodes coaxed Peyton Matheny into a liner to center for the first out before striking out Dylan Bryant for the second out.  He went to a full count on Cook, but with the game on the line, the Silverdale centerfielder got his second walk for the game-winning RBI.

“That was a good game,” said Cook, who drove in his team’s second run with a single in the first before ripping his first homer – a towering three-run shot to left – in the third.

He walked in the sixth before getting the big one with two outs in the seventh.

“I loved being in that situation, but I was ready to hit anything that was close.  That last pitch would have hit me had I not gotten out of the way, but I’ll take the walk as our team got the win,” the 18-year-old senior expressed.

Needless to say, Silverdale coach Gray Ange was smiling from ear to ear when the game ended.

“That was an intense game from start to finish, but I felt really good when we loaded the bases with nobody out in the seventh.  We’ve been finding ways to win all year and I’m proud of the way we battled despite not playing our best game,” he began.

“Chase has been hitting it hard lately and I’m glad to see him finally get one over the fence.  It’s tough to win a close game when you make four errors and I don’t think I’ve ever been on the winning side in that situation, but I’m proud of the way we handled adversity.  I’m sure we’ll see them again,” the slender coach added.

CCS coach Ben Wharton could only shake his head when the game ended.

“We just have to hold our heads up and keep battling.  Nobody likes to lose, especially in a close game like this, but we made more mistakes than they did and a good team will capitalize on stuff like that,” he said after his team’s record dropped to 10-5 overall and 5-3 in region play.

“We gave ourselves a chance to win, but it just didn’t work out.  We made too many mistakes on the bases, but we can correct those,” he added.

Both teams scored twice in the first inning and it looked like an instant replay from Monday’s game.

Amos Davenport reached on a Silverdale error and scored on a double off the fence in center by Rhodes.  A grounder to first allowed Rhodes to score after stealing third.

Stafford reached on a CCS error before Colin Lovell got hit by a pitch to put two on with nobody out.

Junkins then ripped a double down the line in left to score Stafford while a two-out single by Cook sent Lovell home.

Cook’s three-run homer with two outs in the third gave the Seahawks a 5-2 lead, but the Chargers chipped away and knotted the score with single runs in the fourth, fifth and sixth.

Kapp ripped a solo homer to right to make it 5-3 while Chase McBryar’s single in the fifth sent Davenport home with the fourth run.  Then in the sixth, pinch-hitter Evan Walker poked a two-out single to left to drive in Colt Sinor, who had reached on a leadoff infield single.

Bryant, who got the win after allowing five runs on eight hits, pitched a perfect 1-2-3 seventh to set up the frantic finish by his teammates.

Junkins had three hits to lead the Seahawks while Cook had two hits and five runs batted in.

McBryar was the only CCS player with two hits.

CHATTANOOGA CHRISTIAN  200 111 0 – 5 8 5

SILVERDALE  203 000 1 – 6 6 4

Kapp, Rhodes (6) and Gilbert; Bryant and Clift.

(Email John Hunt at nomarathonmoose@gmail.com)

 

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