Skibiski Powers Park Vista Over Jupiter In 6-2 Win

In his first start of the year, Cobras junior Hunter Brennan pitched a complete game and allowed just two runs.

Despite heavy rain prior to Tuesday’s game that resulted in a 20-minute delay, the Park Vista Cobras played some of their best ball of the season in a 6-2 victory over the red-hot Jupiter Warriors on Tuesday night.

Scoring four runs in the final two innings to help starter Hunter Brennan come away with the win in his first start of the year, the Cobras looked right at home in a wet road win over a Warriors team that had won six of their last seven ballgames. Everything that Park Vista needed to do to win — pitch well, hit well, limit their mistakes — was accomplished in what manager Larry Greenstein described as a true character win.

“This was a great team effort: we moved the runners when we had to, had the big hits with runners in scoring position, and that’s always huge in any game,” Greenstein said. “Jupiter has been on a roll lately; they’re a great team and Andy Mook does a great job with those guys. So we’re really happy coming into their place and not only competing, but coming away with the win. Tonight definitely was our night, and we had a really well-rounded game which you can’t always have. Tonight was one of those nights where everything just came together, and I’m proud of the guys with how they approached the game tonight.”

Normally a reliever who had pitched to an 0.84 ERA with a 20-3 K/BB ratio in his first nine games, Brennan surprised everyone in attendance by throwing a complete-game four-hitter. Though Brennan often found himself in three-ball counts and had to work out of trouble several times, Greenstein remained confident in the junior’s abilities on the mound and let him get the final three outs.

“Originally, we were thinking that he’s done a great job and we could let our relievers finish it off — seeing as Michael Decker was all warmed up — but we didn’t think he was laboring and he we let Hunter stay in,” Greenstein explained. “He was in control and they had a hard time stringing up a whole bunch of offense against him at one time. So we looked at his pitch count, saw how well he looked, and gave him a chance to start the seventh. Hunter did a great job, and when your pitch count is down and you’re pitching great, that’s all there is to it.”

Warriors center fielder Reese Albert had an RBI groundout in Tuesday's game against the Cobras.

With both Brennan and Jupiter starter Zac Sprankle pitching well, runs were at a premium for the first five innings of the ballgame. Jupiter got on the board when first baseman Tyler Ward lined an RBI single to right field to drive home Brandyn Ward, who had led off the inning with a single of his own.

The Cobras took a 2-1 lead in the top of the third when both Zac Padgett and Chase Ashby scored on the same wild pitch. Warriors center fielder Reese Albert then tied things at two in the bottom of the frame with an RBI groundout that brought shortstop Anthony Servideo around to score.

That tie lasted until the top of the sixth inning, when sophomore Patrick Sibiski connected on a two-out pitch from Sprankle and sent it over the left field fence for a homer that also scored pinch-runner Dylan Santalo. Once the ball left the yard and Sibiski had his first long ball of the year, the momentum instantly became up for grabs and Park Vista (14-3) took full advantage and scored another two runs in the seventh to put the game out of reach.

“I wasn’t really trying for a home run; I saw a pitch I could handle, tried squaring up on it the best I could, and it just happened,” Sibiski said. “I’m just trying to help out my team and drive in the run. Hunter pitched phenomenal and we couldn’t have asked for anything better tonight. These are a great group of guys and I couldn’t ask for anyone better. We’re just having a good time out there and us as a team, we’re really coming together and I’m really proud of our guys. “

Leave a comment using your facebook account!