Rocky Mount , NC – Earlier this season when Breakfast Optimist and Wesley Men faced each other, it took extra innings to decide the winner. Tonight was no exception, as extra innings turned the game into a defensive duel.
In the first inning, Breakfast Optimist wasted no time getting on the board. Judah Calhoun got it going with a double and then Andrew “Rhino” Rine was put on by a walk. Thomas Pittman was able to get both guys home thanks to a triple down the right field line.
In the bottom of the 1st, Breakfast Optimist was able to send Wesley Men out in order, and after one inning of play it was 2-0 Breakfast Optimist.
In the 2nd inning, Breakfast Optimist found themselves going out in order. At the bottom of the inning, Wesley Men was able to get one runner on, but was not able to capitalize and turn it into a score.
In the top of the 3rd, Judah Calhoun got on with an error and then he was brought home with a triple by Matt Pridgen. This made it 3-0 Breakfast Optimist going into the bottom of the 3rd. Wesley Men was able to get four runs scored in the inning with Ethan Bellamy, Winston Lee, Jaelyn McLean, and Nathan Cooper all scoring, allowing Wesley Men to go up 4-3 after 3 innings of play.
Thanks to a triple by Ayden Phillips, Breakfast Optimist was able to retake the lead. The play brought James Stalls home, with Phillips scoring off of a passed ball. After four innings, Breakfast Optimist was up 5-4.
In the bottom of the 5th inning, Winston Lee led off with a triple and was able to score when Jaelyn McLean got a double. The next three batters were retired in order thanks to two fly outs and a short stop to first throw.
Both teams held each other in the 6th inning, forcing the game into extra innings. In the top of the 7th inning, Breakfast Optimist got things going when Andrew Rine hit a double down the right field line. Matt Pridgen was able to move him over thanks to a sacrifice bunt. The next batter, Thomas Pittman, got a hold of one and he was able to hit it down the right field line, resulting in a triple. That brought Rine home and Pittman was able to score later thanks to a single by James Stalls. The score at the bottom of the 7th was 7-5 Breakfast Optimist.
In the bottom of the 7th inning, Wesley Men batters were retired in order. Breakfast Optimist’s Andrew Rine made multiple game changing catches when the ball was hit to him, helping retire the batters in order. The final score was Breakfast Optimist 7 and Wesley Men 5.
We talked with Breakfast Optimist Assistant Coach Scott Wingfield about his team’s hard fought win. “This game was a little bit cleaner ball game and we didn’t make many errors this game. The key to winning this game was we got some big hits at the big moments.”
Breakfast Optimist will turn around on Wednesday night and play Wesley Men again. “I expect it to be a close game and we will probably have extra innings and we both have used several pitchers,” Wingfield stated.
Wesley Men coach Sam Toler talked with us after the game. “This is twice we played them and both times we have played extra innings. It shows how evenly balanced the teams are; we just came up a little bit short tonight. Andrew Rine and Judah Calhoun both made some solid plays on defense and when it was our turn we did not play good defense.”
Toler left a message with his team going forward. “I told our boys we were real proud of them, they fought hard and competed hard and they went down swinging.”
Both teams face each other again on Wednesday night. They will be on the same field at 7 pm at the Sports Complex.
ENC Sports Review 