Reagan pounds out 17 hits to take 1-0 series over Akins
By Mark Kusenberger
tsrnsports.com
Special to SAsports.com
The Reagan Rattlers had been the playoffs before, many times. The Akins Eagles had never been there.
That’s not to say experience was the difference in Reagan’s 14-5 victory in Akins in Game One of a best-of-three series at the Berger Center. But it sure didn’t hurt Reagan.
The series will resume 1 p.m. Saturday with Game Two at North East Stadium. Should Akins win, Game Three will follow.
While Reagan (30-2) has made the playoffs 7 of the 8 years they’ve fielded a varsity team, and advanced to at least the second round each of those seasons, Akins (14-17) had fielded only three playoffs teams in any sport since opening in 2003. The 2008 Eagles were Akins’ first playoff baseball team.
Akins coach Steve Velasquez elected to pitch his ace, Tyler Pinson, in Game One against Reagan ace Casey Selsor. Pinson (10-4) gave up 12 hits and 11 runs – 10 earned – in 4 and 2/3 innings pitched. Pinson, who’s pitched almost 90 innings this year, saw his ERA for the season balloon from 2.31 to 3.06.
Sophomore first baseman Brad Hall led the barrage, going 3-4 with a 2-RBI triple in the second with gave Reagan a 2-0 lead. Hall, Jordan Mengele, and Casey Selsor each had three hits for the Rattlers.
Akins tied the game in the bottom of the second. Selsor (10-0), who’d pitched only 1 innings in two weeks prior to the Akins series, struggled with control early. After giving up a leadoff double in the second to Kyle Smith, Selsor walked Jordan Stewart. Keith Rodriguez sacrificed each runner up one base, then Aaron Martinez walked to load the bags. A passed ball allowed Smith to score, then Andres “Gordo” Ruiz hit a sacrifice fly to score Stewart and tie the game.
Reagan added 2 in the fourth, 5 in the fifth, and 4 in the sixth. The Rattlers batted around in both the fifth and the sixth. All 9 starters in the Reagan batting order got at least one hit.
Selsor went the distance for Reagan, walking 6 but giving up only 3 hits and 5 runs – only 1 earned – and struck out 6. He retired 10 of the last 11 Eagles he faced.
Akins, 10-4 when Tyler Pinson gets the decision but 4-13 when he doesn’t, looks to have their hands full Saturday.
|
