Sparks Steals A Win For Benjamin

Baylen Sparks was a terror on the base paths for the Buccaneers.

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When the Benjamin Buccaneers hosted the Tigers of Boynton Beach on Wednesday afternoon, it was a match up of two teams headed in opposite directions.

Perhaps the hottest team in Palm Beach County, the Bucs had not lost since their second game of the season and boasted a 7-1 record. The Tigers, on the other hand, started 3-0 but had not won since, dropping four in a row.

Wednesday brought more of the same for both as the Buccaneers scratched out a 4-2 victory by way of aggressive base running, some sharp pitching and one freak play.

On a day when Tigers freshman ace Luke Comerford held Benjamin to just six base hits, Buccaneer base runners were largely left to find their own way home. Center fielder and lead-off man Baylen Sparks took the task to heart, scoring two of his teams four runs almost single-handed. He stole four bases on the afternoon and his aggressiveness forced a throwing error that led to two extra bases and a run.

After the Tigers took a 1-0 lead in the top half of the first courtesy of a Derrick Lewandowski double and an RBI single by David Recio, Sparks took it upon himself to move into easy scoring position for number two batter, Matt Ellmyer in the bottom half. Sparks kicked off a perfect 3-for-3 night with a single, then stole second when Comerford attempted a pick-off move to first. On the very next pitch, he took off for third for his second successful steal, and finally crossed home when Ellmyer grounded out to shortstop.

“When we got on base, we wanted to be aggressive on the base paths versus a lefty,” Sparks said. “He had a high move so we figured we could go on first movement. That worked for me and a couple other guys so we were able to get on and when we did we tried to steal as many bases as we could.”

Ellmyer, who drew the start for Benjamin, rebounded nicely from his one-run first, pitching four more innings of scoreless ball. He allowed three more hits, all singles, for a total of five, and walked two but also struck out seven while recording his third win of the 2015 campaign. It is exactly the kind of performance his Manager, Brian Kaplan has come to expect from the junior hurler.

“Not to take Ellmyer for granted but we expect that from him at this point,” Kaplan said. “He’s kind of taken on the role of our team ace and every time he’s gone out there he’s thrown a lot of strikes, he’s competed, he’s gone after hitters, and he’s kept guys off balance. He works quick, the game goes quick, and he kind of takes control. So yeah, we expect that.”

David Recio watches a foul ball before driving in the first run of the game for the Tigers.

In the third inning and leading by one after a throwing error gifted the Bucs a run in the second, Sparks struck again. He singled into right field, then swiped second when Comerford made a move to first. He advanced to third on a fly out by Zach Zientarski and broke for home when Comerford tried to catch Ellmyer leaning at first. The Boynton first baseman Lewandowski could not nab Ellmyer, but wisely threw home to Recio to gun down Sparks and prevent the run.

Comerford benefited from some nice defense behind him in the fourth and fifth innings. Seeing his first inning of action in the fourth, third baseman Robbie Santiago recorded an assist and a spectacular inning-ending put-out when he made a diving catch of a sinking line drive by Parker Quinn. Shortstop Chris Perez picked up his pitcher in the fifth, making a nice, back-handed stab of a Paul Lanoce ground ball for the second out of the frame.

After that, Sparks was up to his old tricks again. He beat out a bunt for a base hit and once again took off on a Comerford pick-off attempt. This time a throwing error allowed him to come all the way around for a 3-1 lead.

Boynton Beach put forth a valiant come-back attempt in the sixth, but it was ultimately foiled by freak play. With Kris Armstrong spelling Ellmyer on the mound, Recio led off with a single, Jonathan Perez walked and then Erik Dietrick plopped down a perfect bunt right in front of the plate and was able to beat it out to load the bases with none out.

In the next at-bat, Rutger Spartz sent a high fly ball into shallow left field. Benjamin’s left fielder and shortstop collided while trying to make the catch and the ball fell in for a single and RBI that narrowed the gap to one. In the confusion of the play however, two of the Tiger’s base runners apparently did not tag up and were eventually forced out at their original bases.

For Boynton Manager John Drouin, the sixth inning seems indicative of the kind of bad luck his team has been suffering from throughout their losing streak.

Kris Armstrong got off to a rocky start but then clamped down to earn the save.

“That fly ball the kid dropped, you don’t know he’s going to drop it,” said Drouin. “That kills. Bases loaded, no outs, we get into a double play. We’re snake-bitten.”

Armstrong induced a ground ball to get out of the inning. Then Logan Taplett put the Bucs up 4-2 by scoring in the bottom half, and proceeded to strike out the side in order in the seventh to notch his first save of the season.

“The first inning I came in it was a little iffy,” Armstrong admitted. “I couldn’t find the zone, but the second inning, I found it. The curveball was working very well, all the better. So I was happy with that and just glad we got the win.”

Now at 8-1, Benjamin is enjoying its early season success. But the Bucs have only played one district game thus far, so there is still a long way to go and much to accomplish.

“We just want to keep doing the same thing,” said Ellmyer. “Keep our vibe going and just get better at practice and come with a chip on our shoulder like we’re going to win.”

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