The Manual baseball team suffered an emotional loss Thursday evening to the rival Male Bulldogs by a score of 9-0.
The Crimsons got off to an average start by earning one hit in the top of the first inning from Jackson Medley (#8, 11) but failed to put any runs on the board. Aaron Sary (#32, 11) got the start on the mound for Manual and got the Bulldogs to go down in order int the bottom half of the first frame.
However, this would be the Crimsons’ only hit until the seventh inning. A combination of strong pitching and fielding from Male kept the Crimson players off the base paths.
“They had a good pitcher out on the mound. We saw the ball and we hit the ball well,” Lukas Motley (#4, 11) said.
Male broke the game wide open in the bottom half of the second inning by scoring seven runs on six hits and two errors by Manual. The Bulldogs loaded the bases early in the inning and then a well placed ball down the right field line allowed three runs to score. Lukas Motley (#4, 11) relieved Aaron Sary (#32, 11) on the mound in the middle of the frame. Manual did not get their first out of the inning until after Male had already scored seven runs.
The teams traded outs for the next two and a half innings with neither side scoring any runs and Manual still not being able to muster a base runner.
Male scored two more runs in the bottom of the fifth inning to put the score at 9-0, one run away from ending the game by mercy rule. However, the Crimsons showed resiliency for the remainder of the game and did not allow the Bulldogs to score.
Down to their final three outs in the top half of the seventh inning Manual showed some fight as Jackson Medley (#8, 11) reached on an error and Connor King (#10, 10) ripped a single to right field. In the end the Crimsons failed to plate any runs and the game ended in favor of the Bulldogs.
The crowd honored fallen LMPD officer Nick Rodman with a moment of silence prior to the game. Rodman had been a frequent security detail at many sporting events for both Manual and Male.
History might however be in Manual’s favor as the Crimsons lost to Male in the the regular season last year but avenged the loss in a thrilling victory over the Bulldogs in the 7th region semifinal.
Up next the Crimsons will travel to Panama City Beach, Florida to partake in a spring break tournament.
