Stratford High School’s baseball team has faced a rugged set of foes during the first part of the season.
Second-year Knights coach Tony Osterman believes testing his team against the best will benefit the Knights at the end of the campaign. Almost every team Stratford has encountered was ranked in the preseason or currently in their respective classification.
“We’ve got a chance to win the region and a chance to make a push for state,” Osterman said. “We’re still a young team. We kind of blend our sophomores and freshmen in with the juniors and seniors. The more they play in games like this, I think they will only get better. I think we can be a team to be reckoned with once we get our pitching back.”
The Knights (4-6, including four preseason games) have bounced back from a rocky start to the regular season, winning three straight after dropping the first three. Most recently, Knights catcher Braydon Burnet launched a three-run home run to left field in the top of the seventh inning. The Knights recorded the final out with the bases loaded on a pick-off play at second base to cap a wild 7-6 victory at Bishop England Monday, March 18, in a non-region game.
The Knights won despite four errors and multiple base-running gaffes. They helped themselves by cutting down two runners at the plate in the late innings. Ultimately, they found a way to win after blowing a 4-0 lead in the fifth and sixth innings.
“Our team has a lot of character,” Osterman said. “They are playing to win, not to lose. They’ve come together and play with a lot of effort. It’s a team effort.”
Bishop England plated three runs in the bottom of the sixth inning to go up 6-4, but left fielder Tripp Smith was hit by a pitch to start the top of the seventh and designated hitter Bryce Herpolsheimer walked to set the table for Burnet. After looking at a first-pitch strike, Burnet smoked one over the fence to put the Knights on top.
Osterman said he’s seen Burnet make strides in practice, so he wasn’t surprised to see one leave the yard off his bat in that situation.
“At practice, he’s one of those guys who has been coming along,” Osterman said. “He’s gotten stronger. He’s got the ability to do it.”
Burnet and Smith each had two hits and three RBIs, and center fielder J.Q. Crosby had two hits for the Knights.
Stratford reliever Jacob Deacon recorded the last two outs to earn the win on the mound. Starter Jarrett Wagner scattered six hits over 5.2 innings and fanned eight batters. Just one of the six runs credited to him was earned. Reliever Kyle McDowell recorded the last out of the sixth inning and the first out of the seventh.
In a 10-3 victory over Lucy Beckham Friday, March 15, in Mt. Pleasant, Crosby knocked in four runs on two hits and leadoff hitter Jachin Davis went 3-for-5 with two runs scored. Herpolsheimer contributed two hits and two runs.
Jameson Lee hurled six innings, allowing eight hits and one earned run, to garner the pitching victory. He struck out five batters.
Two days earlier, Davis and Crosby had two hits each in a 4-2 victory over Fort Dorchester. Davis, Smith and McDowell limited the Patriots to five hits and struck out five batters.
The Knights are at top-ranked Hanahan Wednesday, March 20 (after press time), before cranking up the Region 6-5A slate with a three-game series versus Cane Bay March 25, 27 and 29. The Knights host the middle game.
