EAST SANDWICH – Jake Golden, a Sandwich baseball senior captain, had been in that spot before.
So, to hit a two-out, walk-off screamer to give his Blue Knights a 5-4 win over Atlantic Coast League rival Dennis-Yarmouth (10-6) Friday night wasn’t a concept that fell outside his comfort zone.
Sandwich High’s Jake Golden is swarmed by teammates after his game-winning hit last night against Dennis-Yarmouth.
Sean Walsh/Capecod.com Sports
More importantly, to him, however, was that his team finally seemed to be clicking when it needed it most. Riding a three-game win streak and now at 7-7, Sandwich needs three wins in its last six games to earn a postseason berth.
“I’ve done that before but it’s a new feeling every time. It’s inexplicable,” Golden said while humbly raking out the infield after the victory. “The past three games the momentum’s been there, we just gotta continue it and keep working hard. With our momentum going right now we have a perfect shot.”
With his team down 4-3, Sandwich pinch-hitter Mike Manning came in to lead off the inning and hit a rocket past the outstretched glove of Dennis-Yarmouth shortstop Mike Knell to left field but a routine single turned into three bases when the ball went under the outfielder’s glove to the wall.
Blue Knight leadoff man Matt Dahl then stepped in and belted a 1-1 pitch to deep centerfield for a sacrifice fly and the game-tying run.
The run seemed to take the win out of Dennis-Yarmouth starting pitcher Jake Gleason’s sails in what had been a superlative effort by Gleason throughout the entire game. The junior righty had not allowed a Sandwich hit until the fifth inning and had given up just one more hit in the sixth. Sandwich had plated all three of its runs in a zany first frame that included a walk, two infield errors, a sacrifice bunt and a fielder’s choice.
But with one out in the bottom of the seventh and the game now tied at 4-4, Gleason then pegged Sandwich starter (and winning pitcher) Riley Sorenson in the square of the back. Digging
Sandwich High’s Riley Sorenson scores the game-winning run. The fans in the background approved.
Sean Walsh/Capecod.com Sports
deep one last time, Gleason served up a textbook one-hopper to second base for what appeared to be an inning-ending double play, but the ball went awry on the throw and Sandwich suddenly had men on first and second.
Still with one out, Dennis-Yarmouth Head Ccoach J.D. Stone went to junior southpaw Drew Gallant in an effort to close it out. Gallant struck out the first batter he faced but a ball blocked by Dolphin back-up catcher Josh Kane was just off to the side and had allowed both runners to advance.
Gallant walked the next batter to create a force at any base but in stepped third baseman Golden. Gallant got ahead of Golden with a 1-2 count before the Blue Knight captain ripped his walk-off basehit.
“Awesome, it’s just so much fun,” said head coach Brian Tomasini. “That’s what we’ve been talking about all year, just competing and grinding it out in a game like that. You get great effort from everybody in every position and then come up with it in the bottom of the seventh to get us to .500 with six games left and needing three games to get into the tournament. It’s huge.”
Gleason got tabbed with the hard-luck loss. Sandwich pitcher Sorenson, who scored the game-winning run, went seven innings for the win. He scattered four hits and struck out six while walking two.
Dennis-Yarmouth’s Knell went 2-3 with two RBI including a double. Senior Mike Dunn went 1-2 before coming out with a groin injury and Trevor Allen went 1-3 with a run scored.
Sandwich will next face Nantucket on Monday (May 18) and Dennis-Yarmouth is at Barnstable High the same day. Both are 4:00 pm starts.
— Sean Walsh is the sports editor for www.capecod.com. His email is [email protected]. Follow him on Twitter @coachwalshccbm
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