MIDDLEBURG – With district tournaments looming just a week away, area baseball teams will need to identify their “Mr. Clutch” players soon as games will be tight to the finish.
Oakleaf coach …
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MIDDLEBURG – With district tournaments looming just a week away, area baseball teams will need to identify their “Mr. Clutch” players soon as games will be tight to the finish.
Oakleaf coach Chris Lannom, sporting at 10-5-1 overall record and 4-0-1 in district 2-8A play, chose to not talk of his team’s topsy-turvy season, but implored the dugout to keep focused on the game at hand.
In a non-district game Thursday night at 7A-Middleburg, Oakleaf High catcher Colby Coldiron put his hat in that “Mr. Clutch” hopper with a bases loaded crashdown of Middleburg baserunner Tripp Rawlins off a bases loaded, seventh inning Bronco scoring attempt that he followed with a run scoring double to centerfield that became the game’s gamewinning hit in an eight inning 4-3 Oakleaf win.
In that fateful seventh inning, with Middleburg getting a walk to Zach Kelley, a single off a scramble on a bunt to Doug Evans and a slippery bunt from Tripp Rawlins to load the bases, Oakleaf pitcher Noah Detrick hit Scott Kneer for a 3-2 score then walked Justin Mosley to tie the game at 3-3 to set up Collin Henderson for the potential gamewinner.
With no outs and bases loaded, Henderson lashed a long fly ball to right centerfield that Oakleaf outfielder Monte Stephens caught on the fly and rifled a throw to home plate as Rawlins tagged up from third.
Coldiron snatched the missile coming to him and caught Rawlins chest high with the tag to put two outs on the scoreboard and Detrick to face Christian Powell for the final out. Detrick caught Powell looking for the third out.
Now with the score at 3-3, Oakleaf opened with a single from Logan Schmidt to centerfield and a fielder’s choice grounder from Bruce Hube that put eventual pinchrunner Scott Kneer at first base. Kneer would move to third base on two wild pitches to heighten the drama for the night. Tyson Tucker struck out swinging to put Coldiron in the batter’s box where he delivered a bomb to score Kneer.
Max Dale would strike out to end the inning.
Now up 4-3, Oakleaf and Detrick got a deep flyout to left field and a spinning throw from Detrick on a bunt to put down two Bronco batters before Kelley struck out to end the game.
Oakleaf finishes regular season play with Ridgeview (13-6 overall, April 25) and at Middleburg (8-9 overall, April 26). Middleburg finishes with Orange Park (April 24) and Oakleaf (April 26).