MIDDLETOWN — A week ago, Middletown High School varsity baseball coach Mitch Tucker was kicking himself for calling a suicide-squeeze play that didn”t work in a game the Mustangs went on to lose 8-7 to the Clear Lake Cardinals in eight innings.
Fast-forward to a week later. Esparto scored a run in the top of the eighth on Tuesday afternoon to beat Middletown 5-4 in a non-league game at Wes Martin Field, where the Mustangs” first-year coach wasn”t taking the blame this time around.
“We didn”t get timely hitting,” Tucker said of the Mustangs” inability to take advantage of the opportunities that presented themselves during the day.
With the score tied at 4 in the bottom of the seventh, Travis Taylor, the No. 2 hitter in the Mustangs” lineup, led off with a double. But the Mustangs couldn”t take advantage, even with the heart of their order coming up against Esparto”s closer, Sauvae Cook.
“He shut us down pretty good,” Tucker said of the left-hander Cook, who entered the game after Taylor”s double and retired the next three hitters on a popup, strikeout and flyball to center.
Esparto went ahead 5-4 in the top of the eighth when losing pitcher Devin Nordin, working in relief of starter Jake Strickler, uncorked a two-out wild pitch with a runner at third base.
“Nordin didn”t throw bad, but he wasn”t in command,” Tucker said.
Cook set the Mustangs down in order in the bottom of the eighth, striking out two.
Middletown (2-4) led 3-0 after two innings. Esparto finally broke through for a run in the top of the third and then surged ahead with a three-run fourth that was fueled by a two-run gift triple Middletown”s outfielder slipped and fell while tracking the ball.
“We also made an error on a double-play ball (that would have ended the inning with no runs crossing the plate),” Tucker said.
Taylor went 3-for-4 with a RBI to lead Middletown”s 10-hit attack. Kelly McKinley went 2-for-3 with a RBI and Justin Woodd went 2-for-4 with a RBI.
Strickler allowed two runs during his five-inning stint on the mound. He struck out two and walked three.
“Strickler threw pretty well for the most part,” Tucker said.
Middletown doesn”t play again until next Tuesday at home against St. Vincent at 4 p.m.
