The 6-0 Rattlers expected to coast to victory on Friday night as they took on the Henninger JV team under the lights. Henninger had plans of their own as they would challenge the Rattlers more than any other team in the league this season.
Michael Wilkins toed the rubber in the first inning for the Rattlers. He lasted one inning, allowing two hits, three walks and five runs. Wilkins was dealt 3 costly errors by his defense that made his outing tougher than it should have been. Highlight play of the inning came from Kenton Cochran (C), who made a lightning throw to Carter Henderson (2B) to prevent a stolen base.
With the score sitting at 5-0 in Henninger’s favor, 2 fly outs and a ground out ended the inning for the Rattlers.
Nicholas Capece started the 2nd inning on the mound. After an initial walk, the ace struck out the next 2 batters and ended the inning with a ground ball put-out from the mound to Ethan Matthews at first base.
After a line out to start the 2nd inning, Jadien Gunnip beat out a ground ball for a single. Dante Klix then put a ball in play to advance Gunnip to 3rd. During Carter Henderson’s at bat, Gunnip would score the first run for the Rattlers on a passed ball before the inning ended at 5-1.
Capece started the 3rd inning on the hump with a strikeout. A ground ball single was followed by fielder’s choice for the 2nd out. A ground out from Kenton Cochran (SS) to Lucas Thelen (1B) ended the inning.
Jack Clary got the Rattlers offense going in the bottom of the 3rd inning with a lead-off single. With Nicholas Capece at bat, Clary stole 2nd base. With a 1-0 count, Capece doubled on a deep line-drive to center field, scoring Clary. With Matthews at bat, Capece first stole 3rd base and then scored on a Matthews single. The inning stalled after a fly out and strikeout, leaving the score at 5-3.
With rain falling, Henninger started the 4th inning with a walk. The 2nd batter would go from down 0-2 in the count to walking. The runners would steal 2nd and 3rd bases before a bunt single scored the runner from 3rd base on a close play at home.
Lucas Thelen came in to relieve Capece on the mound. Two walks were followed by a line drive that scored 2 for Henninger before a throw from Sean Bombard (CF) to Capece (3B) would get the first out. A walk was followed by a strike out and the final out came off of a nice throw by Gunnip (C) to Capece for a tag to stop a steal.
Down 9-3, the Rattlers were in desperate need of a comeback.
KJ Cochran started off with a walk. He would advance to third base on a fly ball double by Thelen. With Devin Christensen at bat, Cochran stole home on a passed ball. Thelen would score a moment later, taking advantage of a bad throw to the pitcher to make the score 9-5, Henninger.
Gunnip and Klix both walked and then stole a base. Gunnip scored on a passed ball before a Carter Henderson single would earn him the RBI by scoring Klix. A Wilkins walk was followed by a Henderson score on a wild pitch. The inning ended with the Rattlers down 9-8.
An error to start the 5th inning put a runner on 1st base. A single then put runners on 1st and 2nd. A ground out from Thelen to Matthews was followed by a strike out and a walk. With bases loaded, Henninger scored from 3rd base on a passed ball. Gunnip attempted to throw out the runner who stole third, but he tried to score. Capece made a perfect throw back home to Gunnip for the tag and the final out. The score was 10-8, Henninger.
Things got rolling again on offense when Capece hit a fly ball double to center field. He then advanced to 3rd on a ground ball single by Matthews. A Bombard walk was followed by a steal of home by Capece to put the Rattlers within 1 run of Henninger. An exciting fly ball triple to right field by Evan Rumpel brought in 2 more runs (Matthews and Bombard). This put the Rattlers ahead for the first time in the game, 12-10.
With Cochran at bat, Rumpel would go on to score on a passed ball. Cochran and Thelen would walk and advance before the inning ended with a strike out and line out.
Henninger would benefit from a single and multiple errors to start the final inning. They scored 2 runs to tie the game before a Cochran (SS) to Clary (1B) put out ended the inning.
Facing their final chance on offense, Klix earned a walk to start the inning. He would then steal 2nd before Henderson walked and then steal 3rd before Wilkins walked.
Henninger brought in Henry to pitch out the game. He started off with a strikeout on his first 4 pitches. With bases loaded and one out, Nicholas Capece stepped up to the plate and fouled off the first pitch. With a 1-1 count, he knocked a fly ball into right field for an exciting walk-off single as his RBI scored Klix for the game-winning run.
The final score: 13-12 Rattlers.
Hits on the night for the Rattlers came from: Capece (3), Matthews (2), Thelen, Rumpel, Clary, Henderson and Gunnip.
RBI’s came from Capece (2), Rumpel (2), Matthews and Henderson.
Runs were scored by Capece (2), Klix (2), Gunnip (2), Thelen, Rumpel, Matthews, Bombard, Clary, Cochran and Henderson.
Highlight plays of the game:
Solid play from catchers Cochran and Gunnip, who combined to make great stops, tags and multiple throws for outs.
Triple by Rumpel in the 5th inning to put the Rattlers ahead for the first time.
Capece (3b) to Gunnip (C) for an exciting tag play at home.
Long throw from Bombard (CF) to Capece (3B) for the tag out.
Great throw from Cochran (C) to Henderson to stop a steal at 2B.
Walk off hit by Capece to end the game.
Put outs from the mound by pitchers Wilkins, Capece and Thelen
Doubles by Thelen and Capece.
Solid base running as the Rattlers stole 20 bases on the night. Klix (4), Gunnip (4), Thelen (3), Cochran (3) and Henderson (3) led the team.
MVP for this game was Nicholas Capece for a solid job pitching, multiple tags and put-outs on defense, 3/3 at the plate with 2 doubles and the walk-off single to end the game.
Team Quote: “The way a team plays as a whole determines it’s success.”
Photo: Henninger player runs off the field after being thrown out at first base.