EMERSON,
Ga. – The stage has been set for the semifinals of the 2015 13u
Perfect Game-East Cobb Invitational at the LakePoint complex. Today’s
quarterfinal games were a tale of two totally different games, as the
Hardknox Orioles run-ruled the Chain Gang while the Georgia Jackets
won a seemingly closer game against Vision Baseball. The weather was
very gloomy but that did not define the atmosphere of these games.
There
was a sense of urgency for both the winning teams, and the fans and
dugouts were full of spirit regardless of the rain delay in the
middle of both games. The Hardknox Orioles left a lasting impression
in their quarterfinal by putting up an unprecedented amount of runs.
Not to mention, the Orioles displayed fantastic pitching and defense.
The
Orioles’ 11-2 victory against the Chain Gang was very balanced in
terms of how a team would want to play winning baseball. Pitching,
defense and hitting were all present for the Orioles this morning.
The Orioles drew first blood in this quarterfinal blowout, scoring
one run in the first, but the very next inning Chain Gang put up a
two-spot to take the lead. At that point, people were shaping up for
a knockdown, drag-out kind of game, seeing as Chain Gang was able to
answer back with such ease. But that feeling was short lived.
The
Orioles steadily put up one run in every inning until they reached
the fourth, which is when they really busted the game wide open. The
Orioles plated seven runs in that inning, and almost batted around
the order twice. It seemed as if almost every hitter on the Orioles
contributed to this rally. It was an impressive team effort from the
plate for them, and it’s hard to give majority credit to any one
player.
If
there was anyone who deserved the credit it would be Chaz Salter.
Salter put together four hits in this morning’s game and drove in
three runs. The Orioles will be looking to Salter in the semis to
produce a similar performance in order to help them achieve the
challenging task of winning the championship.
Perhaps
what was more impressive than the Orioles’ collective effort at the
plate is young Jack Witmer’s heroic performance on the mound.
Witmer dealt with a little bit of adversity in that first inning of
play, giving up two runs right off the bat, but he settled in after
that. At this age, it is easy for pitchers to get frustrated when
things don’t go their way, but Witmer showed maturity and
experience on the mound when he bounced back from that first inning.
Witmer
threw four strong innings and gave the Chain Gang a steady diet of
breaking balls that proved to be just too much for them to handle.
“My
curveball was my out pitch today,” said Witmer. “I was really
able to locate it today and live down in the zone. Leading up to this
start, I’ve really focused on throwing downhill. In order for us to
win this tournament, I think we’re going to have to keep up the
energy.”
The
Hardknox Orioles are undefeated thus far in this tournament, and have
a lot of momentum going into the semifinal game against the Home
Plate Chili Dogs. The Orioles are based out of Locust Grove, Ga., and
like to play the game hard. They put a lot of emphasis on situational
baseball; whether it be getting bunts down or executing their
first-and-third coverage. The Hardknox started off the summer a
little cold in terms of the energy that they were producing, but
according to Head Coach Matt Fountain, they are picking up steam at
the right time.
“This
is our first Perfect Game tournament of the summer, so I’m glad to
see were heating up at the right time,” said Coach Fountain. “Our
energy level the last three games has been outstanding. Probably the
best it has been all summer, and I think that our energy level is
going to be really important for us moving forward. I know that it
certainly played a part in today’s win.”
When
the Orioles are up and energetic, they tend to perform very well.
When everybody is in the game, that’s when the fun comes. Coach
Fountain makes sure that his players are excited to play the game
that they love, but also wants them to stay relaxed. At this young
age, it’s about learning the game and having fun, and Coach
Fountain does his best to keep those two themes in place for his
Orioles' team.
This
year’s 13u PG-East Cobb Invitational is still up for grabs, but the
Orioles have a little bit of extra motivation. Hardknox has only been
around for two years, so a win in a major tournament like the PG-East
Cobb Invitational would do wonders for their program.
“We
have had some success in past tournaments, but always get stuck in
the semifinals,” Fountain added. “With the way that we’re
rolling right now, I feel confident about the semis. It would be huge
for us to get past that stage and win a tournament like this one;
especially considering that we are one of the newer programs here. We
just want to get our name out there and let people know that we are
here and here to stay.”