It’s a great experience to be able to play at Riverwalk and Paterson each year in the Jason Armstrong FCA Tournament. It’s even more fun when you can beat one of your rivals in the process. The Eagles (1-3) opened play this week at Riverwalk and defeated Trinity 5-2. As good as the team looked today, it’s hard to believe this was the first win of the year. Hopefully the victory will boost confidence and spur the team to many more wins.
Jackson McGuire set the tone early as he mowed the Wildcats down 1-2-3 in the first while striking out the first two hitters. In the second, Trinity put runners on second and third with no one out, but the senior hurler gave up just one run and struck out two more batters. ACA tied the game in the third thanks to a Jackson Burton sac fly that scored Mason Roosendaal and took the lead as the Wildcat first baseman could not hold on to the throw from short, scoring Ethan Dabney. The Wildcats threatened again in the third as they loaded the bases with one out. Once again, McGuire allowed only a single run to keep the score 2-2.
Neither team scored in the fourth although Alabama Christian did load the bases with two outs, but could not plate a run. The fifth inning started innocently enough as Jackson Burton led off with a single, but the next two hitters were retired. Levi Summers drew a walk and the Wildcat reliever developed a case of the yips on the mound. He balked twice during Alex Heilman’s at-bat scoring Burton and moving Summers to third. Adding insult to injury, Heilman singled to right to drive in the runner from third to give the Eagles a 4-2 advantage.
After Jackson McGuire got the first two outs in the fifth, Coach Guice made the move to the bullpen and brought Mason Roosendaal to the mound. The young reliever struck out the next batter to end the Wildcat threat. Jackson Burton helped tack on an insurance run in the sixth as he doubled over the left fielder’s head to drive in Mac Moorer. The defense flashed the leather in the sixth as Teilan Long made a great running catch in shallow right field for the first out. Levi Summers handled the next two as he caught a third strike foul tip for the second out and threw out the batter at first after strike three bounced up to the plate to end the frame. ACA again loaded the bases in the seventh, but did not score. Sometimes, the hardest three outs in the game are the last three, but Roosendaal handled the situation like a veteran to close the game.
Jackson McGuire earned the victory as he pitched 4 2/3 innings, allowing just one earned run with six strikeouts, four looking. Mason Roosendaal picked up the save with 2 1/3 innings of relief work as he allowed just one hit and struck out four. Jackson Burton led the charge at the plate as he went 3 for 3 with a double and two RBIs. Alex Heilman went 2 for 3 with a walk and a run driven in while Ethan Dabney was 2 for 4 with a run scored. Mac Moorer was up to his old tricks as he went 1 for 1 and was hit twice by WIldcat pitchers.