EDWARDSVILLE — Oftentimes in baseball, an error or two can be the spark for an onslaught of runs. It can make the difference from one game to another.
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Which was the case on Friday afternoon at the Edwardsville Sports Complex, as the Tigers committed six errors — four of them in the second and third innings — as the BTL Hornets of Kansas City scored eight runs in those frames en route to a 10-2 win over Edwardsville's summer team in a group game of the Prep Baseball Report Mid-America Under-17 World Series tournament. The game was called after five innings, due to the tournament's eight-run rule.
In the Tigers' first game earlier in the day, Edwardsville defeated the Rawlings Extreme of St. Louis 9-1 in a game also called after five innings. Ben Basarich went two-for-three with two doubles and two runs scored, Jonathan Yancik was one-for-two with three runs scored, Crutchfield went one-for-three, Grant was one-for-two with a double and a run scored, and Holt went one-for-one, a double and a run scored. Chase Gockel went all five innings for Edwardsville, giving up three hits and fanning seven while walking none. He was also one for one at the plate with one RBI.
Edwardsville assistant coach Craig Ohlau agreed that the errors did come back to cost the Tigers in the game.
“Yeah, the errors kinda came back to bite us that game,” Ohlau said. “Tyler Hold threw strikes, challenged some of their hitters. And just a couple of key spots, we failed to make the play, and that led to them scoring some runs. Sometimes, in baseball, that happens; we wouldn't have liked it to happen, but you just gotta move forward.”
Despite all the errors, the Tigers kept battling and playing hard, which has become a trademark of the team.
“Well, these guys — you look around. . .they're ust a bunch of fighters,” a very proud Ohlau said as he looked over his team. “Every one of them. And you look into their eyes, you see a fighter. Zach Crutchfiield, he comes out and battles every day. David Grant, (Aaron) Young — even Dave Caulk, he's a battler,” Ohlau added with a hearty laugh.
“No matter how far down we get in some games, we're gonna fight, we're gonna lay it on the line,” Ohlau added.
Indeed, the Tiger aggressive spirit was on display in the top of the second. With Caleb Blakemore on first with two out after a base hit, Grayson Slagel singled up the middle. Blakemore was sent home on the play, but was thrown out after a perfect relay throw from the shortstop to keep the game scoreless.
The Hornets scored four times in the bottom of the inning to take the lead, and it all happened with two out. Hunter Castero walked, went to second on a wild pitch, and took third on a Grayson Wiley base hit. Wiley then executed a delayed steal of second perfectly, and when the second baseman lost the ball, Castero scored on the error. D.J. Shelbach singled home the second run, and after a walk to Logan Alexander, Colton Voss delivered the big blow, a two-run double to the left field fence.
BTL scored four more times in the next inning to break the game open. Johnny Contreras reached on an error to open the inning, but was forced at second on an Alex Kremer grounder. The relay throw skipped off the first baseman's glove and out of play for another error, allowing Kremer to go to second. Ethan Koepie singled home the run, and went to second on another error. Koepie stole third and came home on a single by Logan Anderson. Anderson stole second while B.J. Judd drew a walk, with Castero driving both home on a double into the right field gap. Castero stole third, but two fly outs ended the inning.
Undaunted, the Tigers got two of the runs back in the top of the fourth. It started with a Joe Tuscano hit and an RBI double by Ben Basarich. One out later, Young was hit by a pitch, and Crutchfiled drew a walk to load the bases. The Hornets brought in Anderson to pitch, and Blakemore immediately got an RBI on a force play at second to drive in Basarich. A unassisted put out by the first baseman ended the inning.
The fourth inning fightback is indicative of Edwardsville's approach to the game itself — play hard and keep going after it, no matter what.
“It's a good group of guys,” Ohlau said. “And every year, we get good kids, who understand that in order to succeed, you have to compete. And we got a bunch of competitors on this team.”
The Hornets did get the run back in the bottom of the inning. Alexander walked and went to second on a balk, then went to third on a Voss single, scoring on an error by the catcher. BTL got the game-ending run in the fifth, as two singles and an intentional walk loaded the bases. A grounder to third forced Koepie at the plate, but the run scored when the catcher's throw to first got away for another error, allowing Judd to score.
Despite the loss, Ohlau is very pleased with the progress of his team.
“It's coming along nice,” Ohlau said. “You see it in every single game, every different tournament that we play each week. You see the maturity coming out. And not only the physical attributes of the game, but the mental approaches that they have in each situation, to failure, to success, and everything in between.”
The Tigers play two more games on Saturday, with the first game starting at 9 a.m. And Ohlau knows his team will keep on battling — and have fun doing it as well.
“Well, we just expect a lot more of what we've seen,” Ohlau said. “A lot more competition, a lot more battling pitch-by-pitch. You know, win or lose, our guys are going to have fun working hard. And they're gonna work hard and have fun.”
