Coaches often say things like "It was a total team effort" to describe how baseball is a team sport and the contributions, although sometimes overlooked, are incredibly important.
There was no chance one could overlook the contributions made by members of the Bees baseball team on Wednesday, as they combined to comeback twice in the same game and walk off with a 9-8 win over Liverpool, the league's first place team.
Who do you single out as a hero in this game? Cam Williams, who hit the walk off single in the bottom of the eighth to lift the team to victory? Alex Robinson, who stroked two doubles and had four RBIs in key situations while the team was down? David Cerqua, who with two outs in the seventh launched a double to bring the team to within one? Carson Hayes, who lined the single to right center to tie the game in the seventh? Nate Johns, who helped the team escape from two runners on and no outs in the eighth while yielding only one run (that wasn't his) and then doubling in the eighth to start the winning rally? And there were many more.
The Bees got solid pitching from Nick Borek, who gave up five runs, although only two of them were earned, through five innings.
B'ville went down 2-0 in the third inning but got one back as Cerqua reached base on an error. He then stole second base and moved to third on a groundout by Carson Hayes. Ryan Carson then bounced a ball over the pitcher's head and the second baseman could not make the tough throw, which allowed Cerqua to score to bring the Bees to within one run.
In the fifth inning, however, Liverpool's top of the lineup was able to get on base with a walk, a double and a single, scoring one run, and then hit two sacrifice flies which scored two more runs, increasing the lead to 5-1 for Liverpool.
The Bees responded admirably in the bottom of the inning, when Billy Clifford started a two-out rally with a single to center. Cam Williams blooped a single to right field and Cerqua walked to load the bases. With two outs, Robinson roped a double to deep right center, scoring all three runners and bringing the Bees to within one run again.
Both teams did not score in the sixth inning, as relief pitcher Jarrod Williams was able to get out of a bases loaded jam.
Liverpool almost took the wind out of the Bees' sail in the seventh inning as they added two insurance runs off Williams to increase their lead to 7-4.
But there was more fight left in the Bees.
With one out in the (typically) final frame, Clifford walked. Williams, however, flew out to right field to make it two outs with a deficit of three runs.
And then the offense took off again.
Cerqua drilled a fastball over the left fielder's head to bring home Clifford. The Bees were now down only two . . . but there were still two outs.
Robinson, who had hit the ball hard his last two times up, smoked another ball over the right fielder's head to score Cerqua from second. Down one . . . but still two outs.
Then, against a relief pitcher that Liverpool brought in, Carson Hayes ripped a single to right field to score Robinson, knotting the game at 7-7. Liverpool was able to get a popup to conclude the inning.
Extra innings, folks . . . and a lot more drama.
Again, with Liverpool's heart of their lineup at the plate, the visiting Warriors hit two hard balls for singles. Nate Johns came in to relieve Williams on the mound. Then, Liverpool turned to small ball, sacrifice bunting the runners to second and third. With one out, the Bees intentionally walked the next batter to load the bases. Liverpool executed a suicide squeeze bunt and scored a runner while B'ville threw the runner out at first. Johns was able to strike out the last hitter to limit the damage to only one run in the eighth. The Bees trailed 8-7.
Johns was the Bees' leadoff hitter in the inning and bombed a fly ball to left field, over the left fielder's head, hitting the bottom of the fence. Johns, the tying run, was standing on second base.
Would the Bees go small ball and try to play for the one run? No. Coach Penafeather let Zach Bush, a patient and smart hitter, swing away. His only instructions: we need to move this runner over.
Bush did better than that. He lined a single to right field and Johns rounded third. Penafeather held him up but the right fielder's throw to home was errant and wide, allowing Johns to score the tying run. Perhaps more importantly, Bush was able to get to second base on the play, putting him in scoring position with no outs.
Anthony May was then walked intentionally. After a strikeout and runners on first and second, Cam Williams stepped to the plate. His last hit was a bloop single. On this one, he left no doubt.
Williams ripped a single in between first and second and the right fielder came up throwing. Bush rounded third and Penafeather waved him in, as fans screamed and cheered in anticipation. Again, the throw was wide and Bush scored the winning run as pandemonium ensued on the field. The Bees' bench cleared and mobbed Bush and Williams.
The Bees had won a thriller, 9-8, in walk-off fashion. And, for the second time in two days, they knocked off the league's first place team.
The Warriors will be out for revenge and the Bees will be going for a sweep at the Baker field on Thursday afternoon. If the past two games are any indication, you won't want to miss it!
(Above photo credit: Matt Bush)
