Taylor Gesell executes suicide squeeze bunt to close out victory
By Mark Kusenberger
tsrnsports.com
Special to SAsports.com
Madison’s Taylor Gesell bunted home pinch runner Austin Loza for the winning run with one-out in the bottom of the seventh in a 5-4 victory over the Churchill Chargers.
The win placed Madison in a tie in the loss column with Churchill for 3rd in 26-5A. MacArthur, Judson, and Lee all trail Madison and Churchill by one in the loss column. Madison is now 10-8 for the year and 4-2 in 26-5A; Churchill is 6-9 overall and 3-2 in district.
Madison scored two in each of the first two innings to take the lead. Julian Duran doubled to the left field wall with one-out in the first, went to third on an infield single by Justin Lee, and scored on a single by Paul Silva. Devin Myler singled to load the bases, then one out later Joy Boyd singled to center to plate Lee and make it 2-0 Madison.
The Mavericks added two more in the second. With one out, Bryan Ehrlich walked, then one out later stole second. Nick Lee walked, and Paul Silva singled to score Ehrlich. Myler followed with an RBI-single to score Lee and chase Churchill starting pitcher Brooks Friesenhan. Madison led 4-0 after two.
Madison starting pitcher Chris Penn struggled with his control throughout the game. He never had a one-two-three innings - he faced the minimum in the first and fourth thanks to double-play grounders – but usually found his way out of trouble.
In the third, Churchill had one of their breakthroughs. With one out, Dustin Aguilar drew a walk. He went to second on a two-out walk by Friesenhahn, then scored on a single between second and first by Riley Nipper. (Nipper’s single was Churchill only hit in the first five innings.) Jason Williams then reached on an error, allowing Freisenhahn to score and tie the game at 2.
Although Madison led 4-2 for three and a half innings, they could not extend their lead thanks to brilliant relief pitching by Churchill’s Michael Kraft. In finishing the second and pitching through the sixth, Kraft struck out five, walked one, and hit one batter, giving up no hits of runs despite two Madison batters reaching on errors in the 6th.
Churchill tried to reward Kraft’s efforts by rallying in the seventh. Chris Penn, having given up just two hits through six innings, was called upon to close out the ballgame. But with two out, Friesenhahn reached on an error to keep Churchill’s faint hopes alive. Riley Nipper singled between short and third to put the tying runs on base, then Jason Williams hit and infield single to put the go-ahead run on base. Next, Ryan Syring hit a 1-0 pitch up the middle to drive in Kraft and pinch runner James Kemp to tie the game. Penn then retired Grayson Howard on a grounder to first to keep the game tied at 4.
With one out in the seventh, Silva finally managed the first hit off Kraft. Two pitches later, Kraft plunked Myler with a pitch, putting the winning run on second. Chuchill Coach Chad Marshall went for a reliever again, this time asking for Nick Bolletor to switch places with Kraft from right field. Bolletor three a 1-1 pitch wild, allowing print runner Austin Loza and Myler to move up a base. Taylor Gesell, now with a 2-1 count and the winning run at third, bunted strike two foul, but bunted the next pitch halfway between the plate and the pitchers’ mound. Bolletor had no play at the plate and declined to make a meaningless throw to first. Gesell was credited with an RBI-bunt single, scoring Loza for the winning run
Chris Penn got the complete game victory for Madison. Penn gave up 5 hits and 4 runs – only 1 earned – walking 6, striking out 4, and throwing 134 pitches. Michael Kraft, who by all measures had a terrific outing, nonetheless took the loss in relief, going 4 and 2/3, giving up one run on one hit, walking one, plunking another and striking out five.
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