Summit Christian Opens With 2-2 Tie Against University

Summit’s Petru De La Garza was in control on the mound.

Although Eddie Tisdale has been around for a couple of years as an assistant coach at University School, Tuesday’s afternoon tilt with Summit Christian provided a first for Tisdale. The team’s first game this season was also the first that Tisdale would manage, after he took over for Rich Hofman several weeks ago.

The game played out like many do in the preseason, with both teams using a bunch of different players, and hitters being behind the pitchers. The result was a 2-2 tie at American Heritage-Delray.

The starting pitchers were the story of this one early in the game. Andrew Denis began the season on the hill for the Suns, and gave up only one unearned run in three innings. For the Saints, Petru De La Garza was equally impressive, going four shutout innings.

The Saints did manage to get on the board in the second without the benefit of a hit. Shane Swanson led off the inning with a hit-by-pitch. Swanson moved to second on a wild pitch. He then stole third, and scored when the throw went into left field.

That would be it for the scoring until the fifth. With De La Garza out of the game, the Suns broke through for two runs. University’s rally began the same way Summit’s had in the second, with a hit-by-pitch. This time it was Evan McKendry taking one for the team. Julian Cabrera walked, putting runners on first and second. Daniel Epstein reached on an error, and McKendry tied the game at one when Sebastian Diaz walked.

Andrew Denis then hit a rare outfield fielder’s choice, bringing in the lead-changing run with what appeared to be a bloop single to left. Left-fielder Austin Smith, however, was able to throw out Epstein at third. Despite losing the hit, Denis gave the Suns a 2-1 lead.

In the bottom of the fifth, Summit Christian quickly tied the score, again plating a run without a hit. Two walks, a sacrifice bunt, and error later, and the teams were again knotted on the scoreboard.

The Saints’ Zach Lawrence threw a perfect sixth and seventh inning, striking out four of the six batters he faced in the two innings.

University’s Sebastian Diaz leads off first base.

Summit made one more attempt at breaking the tie, putting the first two runners on in the sixth. McKendry was able to work out of the jam, and the teams would have to settle for a tie score, something neither coach was overly concerned with.

“The score doesn’t really matter in these preseason games,” said Tisdale. “What you want to see is how players react to live pitching, and different situations throughout the course of the game. We have a lot of work to do, but overall it was a good start.

Summit Manager John Drouin concurred.

“We just come into these games wanting to get all of our players ready for the season,” said Drouin. “We did that today. We played everyone, and we did some good things out there. Of course there is plenty to work on, but I am very pleased with the effort and the day as a whole.”

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