Preparing for their first match up of the week, the boys baseball team confidently headed into their matchup against Ferguson. With a 2 to 2 record, the Cavaliers looked to surpass the .500 mark. Knowing that the game was no easy matchup, Gables squared up on March 5.
Being the away team, Ferguson began the game on offense. They faced junior and Gables pitcher Miguel Castellanos on the mound. The first inning began slow for Ferguson, as they could not get any players on base. Closing the inning, Castellanos struck out one batter and forced two groundouts.
The game did not start off in a flurry of runs for the Cavaliers either. The team hit two runners into bases, but Gables ended their hitting sequence with a double play.
“I hope that the baseball team will improve as the season goes on. The team should start playing more aggressively and should maybe start taking some risks. Being a baseball fan, I know how important momentum is during games,” freshman Lucas Buch said.
Entering the second inning, both teams began to catch their rhythm as each team scored a run. Major plays like sacrifice bunts and two-out rallies lit up the scoreboard.
With the game tied 1 to 1, Ferguson took advantage in the fourth inning and began to assert their dominance over the Cavaliers. The inning started with a quick hit-by-pitch walk and a single in Castellanos’ first two throws. As Castellanos’ pitch count increased, so did the amount of runs that Ferguson drove in.
“We were tied in this game until everything went wrong and from now on we simply need to stay calm and just play the game we love. For the upcoming games we will for sure play with more energy and not be flat footed and start the game off hot. The little things at the end of the day can take us a long way,” junior Miguel Castellanos said.
From that point on, the game began escalating as Ferguson led 4 to 1 at the start of the fifth inning. Ferguson’s best inning came at the worst time for the Cavaliers. They scored four runs and wore out Castellanos until Gables turned to the bullpen for sophomore Carlos Torres. Ferguson was up 8 to 1.
“I have learned that we need to play as a team, and not for the number on the back but the name in front of our jersey’s. We can’t fall behind early because it is hard to come back. As a team we are working to be more sufficient with a high energy from the start. We have to leave our losses behind us and play with confidence,” sophomore Alex Pritchett said.
The Gables team were down 10 to 1 entering the bottom of the sixth inning. Two chances to hit their way out of a deficit, Gables mustered up every bit of energy they had stored in the tank. Posting an impressive rally, the Cavaliers brought in four runs to minimize Ferguson’s lead. The score was 10 to 5 in favor of Ferguson.
“We were just not hitting very well throughout the game. Ferguson had some strong pitchers but when they made mistakes it ended up helping us in the long run. The relieving pitchers played their role well trying to get us out of a long inning. If we keep our momentum for an entire game then we have a shot against our next opponents,” freshman Vivian Pritchett said.
Despite a valiant last minute effort, Gables fell short in a 12 to 5 loss. Understanding where their mistakes occurred, the team will focus on those areas during practice. Aiming to find sense of stability, the team looks to bounce back against future opponents.
