Going 2-2 in Saladino Tournament Play, Strawberry Crest returned to regular season play where they lost two of their next three games — with a 5-3 loss to Newsome, a 5-3 loss to Gaither and a 10-0 win over Chamberlain. Getting back into the win column last week, the Chargers came away with a 4-2 win over Wharton on Tuesday before running away with a huge 12-2 victory over Hillsborough in five innings on Thursday.
Senior Zach Redner took the mound for Crest in the top of the first, immediately allowing a first-pitch base hit to the Terriers’ leadoff hitter. The next batter he faced dropped a bunt down the first base line, fielded by Redner who was able to lay the tag for the first out as the Hillsborough runner advanced to second. A tough ground ball between shortstop and third base was beat out by the ensuing hitter and a throw back to third in an attempt to nab the advancing runner from second skipped to the fence, allowing both runners to advance and the first run to cross for the Terriers. With one out and the trail runner now standing in scoring position on second base, Hillsborough was looking to add more, but back-to-back strikeouts ended the frame and limited the damage to a 1-0 deficit after one. Strawberry Crest then responded in the bottom of the first, and did so in a huge way. After a strikeout led off the bottom of the inning, senior Arjun Nimmala ripped a triple to straightaway left field. Senior Eli Vickers stepped up next, ripping a hard ground ball to third that was stopped by the outstretched glove of Hillsborough’s diving third baseman. His throw went home to try and stop Nimmala from crossing the plate, but it wasn’t in time as the run scored, Vickers was safe at first and the Chargers tied the contest in an instant. Taking advantage of mental lapses, Vickers stole second and third before a loud double off the right field wall from Redner drove him home and gave the Chargers a 2-1 lead with one out. But Crest wasn’t done. Senior Alex Philpott beat out a slow roller to third, allowing pinch runner Reuben Vasquez to advance to third before Philpott again took advantage of the Terriers’ complacency as he moved up to second. A passed ball pushed Vasquez home and Philpott to third before senior Luke Richardson gave the Chargers a 4-1 lead with a single to center heading into the second.
Hillsborough jumped on the bases quickly again in the top of the second, roping a first-pitch double down the right field line, but a bunt fielded by Redner, a strikeout and a ground out to first base kept the Terriers off the board.
The Chargers then picked up right where they left off in the second, opening the frame with a base hit from Ray Allen Vasquez before Adrian Vo reached on a hit by pitch and Jace Raburn drew a walk to load the bases. With Nimmala up again in a position to do some damage, he roped a base hit to left — his second hit of the evening — to drive the runner home from third and extend the Crest lead to 5-1. While the bases remained loaded for Vickers, it wouldn’t stay that way for long as he ripped a double into the left center gap, clearing the bases and pushing the Chargers out to an 8-1 lead before finding himself in a run down between second and third for the first out of the inning. Redner then reached on a hit by pitch and Reuben Vazquez again entered to pinch run, stealing second, advancing to third as the throw bounced into centerfield and eventually scoring on another passed ball to give the Chargers a 9-1 lead after two.
Redner continued to cruise in the third, allowing two runners to reach safely before eventually bringing another scoreless inning to a close. In the bottom of the inning, Nimmala reached safely on a single and Vickers reached on an infield hit before Redner uncorked another rocket off the bat and this one wouldn’t stay in the yard as the ball barreled into the trees beyond the right field fence for a three-run home run —his first home run of the season, giving the Chargers a 12-1 lead.
As senior Cooper McDonald took over on the mound to open the fourth for Crest, Redner’s night came to an end with three innings pitched, four hits allowed, one walk and one earned run while striking out three. At the plate, he finished the evening 2-for-3 with one double, one home run, four runs batted in and one run scored. Over the two ensuing innings of work, McDonald allowed two walks, zero hits and one unearned run as the Chargers claimed a 12-2 victory and rose to 10-6 on the year.
Crest returned to action on Tuesday with another huge victory, beating Freedom 15-0 as they extended their win streak to three games and moved to 11-6 on the year. Next up, the Chargers will host 12-6 Alonso on Saturday at 10 a.m.