Seminole Ridge Holds Off Forest Hill for 4-2 Victory

In the season opener for both teams, Seminole Ridge was able to manufacture a couple more runs than the host team, Forest Hill, to win 4-2 in the Forest Hill City Tournament.

All four times the Seminole Ridge Hawks got their lead hitter on base, that runner went on to score in the inning.

To start the game, Cruz Alcazar of Seminole Ridge reached first on a rare catcher’s interference call. Two batters later, shortstop Marcus Mooney drove him home with a triple in the left-field gap.

The Forest Hill Falcons answered in the bottom of the second with a run of their own. After a lead-off single and stolen base by Brayan Ofarrill, a grounder to first base advanced him to third with just one out. Juan Garces, who went 2-for-3 for the game, drove him home with a hard grounder up the middle to knot the game at one apiece.

The Hawks again got their lead batter aboard in the fourth on a walk by Tyler Glover. Two more walks and a single loaded the bases before a hit batsman forced in the Hawks’ second run of the game. Forest Hill starter Mike Murray closed the inning with three straight strikeouts featuring his sharp curve ball, but not before the Hawks had retaken the lead.

Again in the fourth, Ofarrill was the catalyst for the Falcons offense, leading off with a double. Two batters later, Garces drove him home on a fielder’s choice to tie the game 2-2.

In the top of the fifth, Mooney once more found his pitch and drove it into the right-field gap for a second triple.

“[Murray] had a really good curve ball, so I was just looking for his fastball,” Mooney said. “He gave it to me on those two pitches, and I was able to tee off on them.”

Mooney went on to score on a bloop single by Glover two batters later. That was the decisive run and the Hawks added one more in the seventh on a throwing error with two runners on.

Murray struck out 13 batters on the night and his side tallied nine hits over the course of the game, but Seminole Ridge never let them gain any momentum. The solid Hawks pitching, aided by two timely double plays and a brilliant diving catch in right field by Jacob Rhemer, stymied the Falcons at just two runs.

It was a well-played game on both sides, but the story of the night was Seminole Ridge’s ability to apply pressure with baserunners and their whole team effort.

“We used everybody but two guys tonight, and we have 17 on the team,” Seminole Ridge head coach Trent Pendergast said. “We don’t have a stud pitcher so it’s going to be pitcher one popped in the lineup, then the next guy comes in, and the next guy comes in. We have to Johnny Wholestaff our games, and it worked tonight.”

Seminole Ridge used three pitchers in the game, with left-hander Josh Berry starting and earning the first win of the season for the Hawks.

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