MIDDLETOWN >> Early arrivals at Middletown’s Wes Martin baseball field might have heard the thunder and saw the lightning on Thursday afternoon prior to the Mustangs’ varsity baseball game with St. Helena. Then the rains came.
But it wasn’t raining rain, you know – it rained runs. St. Helena runs. And for the Mustangs it rained ruination, as they took it on the chin in a 13-0 Saints storm, shortened by one inning because of the 10-run rule.
There’s no telling how that will affect Middletown’s efforts to earn a place in the North Coast Section playoffs as an at-large team, but it certainly won’t help. The Mustang league record now stands at 5-6 with just three games remaining … and Middletown must win at least two of those to have any chance at all.
But Middletown head coach Brad Holt remained optimistic.
“We have a few games left,” he said. “We get a couple of wins we’re right back into it.”
St. Helena coach Darrell Quirici could afford to have higher hopes after the Saints improved their status to 11-7 overall and 6-3 in league play.
“It gave us a little bit of breathing room,” he said.
There was no forewarning of the St. Helena 10-hit attack, which included six doubles and was accompanied by efficient one-hit pitching from Dom Collins. Collins retired 12 straight Mustangs from the second through fifth innings. He walked three and struck out only two. A single to right field by Stephen Amos leading off the second was the only Middletown hit. Amos got as far as second base. Only two other Mustangs could make that claim. Other than that there was a spectacular back-to-the infield retreating catch by Mustang center fielder Travis Williams. Williams then doubled off a St. Helena runner with a perfect throw to Sam Pyzer.
The game opened well enough for Middletown as starting pitcher Albert Ruske retired St. Helena leadoff hitter Arnold Rodriguez on one pitch, but the Saints then rallied for two runs, which is one more than they would need to beat the Mustangs. Doubles by Alex Archer, John Wheeler and Payton Rockwood fueled St. Helena’s quick start.
The Saints plated four more runs in the fourth inning and seven more in the sixth. Archer and Beau Harris led the offensive display with two hits each. For the hometown team it was a dreadful afternoon of walks, wild pitches and hit batsmen by three Mustang pitchers.
“What can you say about a game like this?” a bemused Holt said.
The Mustangs hit the road on Tuesday to play Willits.
