(ASTON, Pa.) – Consistent hitting helped Wilson upend Valley Forge in the slugfest that came of the first game of the series between the two on Friday afternoon. The Phoenix pounded out 21 hits and scored in seven of the nine innings to defeat the Patriots.
The Basics
Score: Wilson 13, Valley Forge 8
Venue: Maplezone Sports Institute
Records: Wilson 13-5, 7-3 Skye; Valley Forge 5-16, 0-7 Skye
How It Happened
- Haden Hoff (Sr., Westminster, Md. / Westminster) led of the game with a base hit and eventually worked his way around the bases to score the first run of the game on a Kodi Deskins (FY, Tampa, Fla. / Clearwater Central Catholic) single. Despite that the Phoenix eventually had to play catch-up as the Patriots put up a six-spot in the bottom of the third. After that, however, the Blue and White scored in every inning thereafter.
- Four hits in the fourth inning helped Wilson on that path. Four consecutive singles started by Jack Pachella (So., Wayne, Pa. / Radnor) allowed him to score on one by Tyler Gibbons (FY, Forrest Hill, Md. / Calvert Hall). The last of those allowed Jordan McKenzie (Sr., White Plains,Md. / North Point) to score on one by Kade Linton (So., Frederick, Md. / Tuscarora) to make the score 6-3.
- One inning later, Wilson tied the game on more timely hits. Harry Middlebrooks (FY, Bel Air, Md. / Archbishop Curley) scored on a base hit by Jordan Daphney (Jr., Countryside, Fla. / Countryside) before Pachella drove in Daphney and Deskins two batters later.
- While Valley Forge played a pair in the fifth to regain the lead, the Phoenix answered once again in the top of the sixth. A Middlebrooks double scored Hoff to make the score 8-7 and later scored on a double steal. Peyton Taylor (Sr., Worton, Md. / Kent County) then drove in the go-ahead run as Deskins scored on a base hit by Taylor.
- Linton drove in Gibbons in the seventh and a Pachella sac fly brought in Daphney in the eighth made the score 11-8. Middlebrooks drove in Gibbons and later scored after Deskins hit him in to set up the final score.
Inside The Numbers
- Shane Bowie (Sr., Frederick, Md. / Thomas Johnson) recorded the win to improve to 3-0 on the season. He struck out four in 5.1 innings of work before being relieved by Hunter Griebel (Sr., Stevensville, Md. / Kent Island) who added 2.2 perfect innings.
- A quintet of Middlebrooks, Deskins, Daphney, Pachella, and Linton all led the Phoenix with three-hit games. Middlebrooks himself had two RBI and three runs scored.
- Every hitter in the starting lineup recorded a hit. Hoff and McKenzie also had multiple hit games in addition to the aforementioned five.
Up Next
Wilson and Valley Forge will return to the diamond again with a doubleheader at Henninger Field on Saturday. First pitch is set for 12 p.m.
