SENIOR NIGHT AT THE BALLPARK. Eagles Baseball and Boys Golf celebrated their seniors at Sullivan Bank Ballpark on Wednesday, Apr. 24. From left to right: the 2024 graduates are baseball players Dayton Skaggs, Cambrian Koch and Gavin Schmidt, then golfer Matthew Mallory. Photo by Wyatt Hardy
LET HIM COOK. Cambrian Koch cooked up a Senior Night special to the Blue Jays as Sullivan’s pitcher. Photo by Wyatt Hardy
CHASE BLUE chalked up a run and a hit. Photo by Wyatt Hardy
LUCAS PARSONS gets ready to launch the ball. Photo by Wyatt Hardy
Eagles Slay The Jays 5-2
Sullivan (13-5) carved out a 5-2 home victory over Jefferson (11-7) on Wednesday, Apr. 24. Afterwards, the Eagles held a Senior Night celebration for baseball players Dayton Skaggs, Cambrian Koch and Gavin Schmidt; as well as golfer Matthew Mallory.
Sullivan drew first blood in the bottom of the 1st. Mitchell Garner smoked a line drive double that drove Landen Doza and Chase Blue home for an early 2-0 lead.
The Eagles’ no-fly zone continued to shut the Blue Jays down from soaring ahead. The defensive highlight of the game came by Sullivan left fielder Doza in the top of the 4th. After Jefferson’s Blake Hampton hammered a fly ball, Doza chased it as it continued to blow away from him. Tip-toeing along the foul line, Doza raised his left arm, and leaped high to grip it. He came crashing into the turf and kept the ball locked in his mitt, leaving the entire ballpark completely stunned with his clutch flyout.
After the defensive stop, the Eagles needed a spark that could restore their scoring momentum from earlier. Koch returned from the mound and told his dugout that now was the time to get some hits. Sullivan followed through with his message. With Nolan Ulrich on 3rd and Koch on 2nd, Doza cooked up a fly ball single that allowed Ulrich to punch it home. Koch and Doza then racked up Sullivan’s final scores on Raiden Redd’s line-drive double.
Sullivan’s lineup grabbed 7 hits, 5 RBIs and 3 walks with 25 batting appearances.
Doza racked up a team-high two runs. He also pulled off 2 hits, an RBI and a walk.
Garner executed two RBIs, a hit and a walk.
Ulrich pulled off a run, a hit and a walk.
Redd brought in 2 RBIs and a hit.
Blue chalked up a run and a hit.
Gawer powered off a hit.
Koch cooked up a run at the plate. He also was Sullivan’s winning pitcher, and hurled a season-high 11 strikeouts against the Blue Jays. Koch only surrendered two hits and two walks six innings he played. Head coach Ian Whitson awarded him the Most Valuable Player belt after the game.
Schmidt took the mound in the seventh, giving up an earned run, a hit and a walk.