Mountain Valley Keeps Pressure On in Win over Canyon Middle School, 11-1
Mountain Valley continued their winning ways with 11 unanswered runs in a win over Canyon Middle School, 11-1.
CMS started this contest with a run to start the game, which would be the first deficit this season for a Hawk team that seems to be zoning in for a hopeful district championship.
Hayden Baker started for MVMS and struck out the side but would also give up two hits to go along with 2 walks that would have the Cougars with a one run advantage.
Two of those 3 strikeouts came on full counts that gives the casual fan an idea of how fortunate MV gave up just one run which had a chance of being a larger deficit.
Canyon MS would not have another hit as these Cougars had a hard time putting their glove on those claws committing 5 errors in helping Mountain Valley put a cage around this team.
“It was a victory for us in a game we could have been on the back end,” Head Coach Raymond Amaro stated in response to fighting for a lead the first time this season. “But once we got the momentum we kept applying pressure on them.”
That would be the ammo on this delayed overcast contest as the Hawks scored in all but one inning as continued pressure played an important role for this win.
“We put the ball in play and with our speed we know good things will happen,” Coach Amaro continued. “These kids are gamers and they respect but are not fearful and they know how good we can be and they know it is hard to maintain that pressure.”
Being down by one run, Mountain Valley did not waste any time with a solid response when Hunter Anderson started off with a single up the middle and then Chase Anderson drew a walk before a 3 base error on the Cougars’ right fielder and a Hawk lead.
Then after pop-out and strikeout the Hawks scored twice more using speed and a timely hit from Emmett Greiman that scored Hayden Baker who had a stolen base after driving in a run earlier.
Those 4 runs would not be challenged for the rest of this game but the Hawks would not be finished and continued to put pressure on CMS with a two run 2nd inning.
Gage Gibbons started the 2nd after a Courgar short-stop could not find a handle on the ball had the Hawks in business and with more speed and another stolen base that was followed on a one-out Chase Anderson triple.
A sacrifice fly off the bat of Ty Sellers had a Hawk 6-1 lead and finished the Hawk scoring. MV left the bases loaded but it would not matter.
Defensively, Sellers would snag a line-drive and then threw out a Cougar on first base for a double play keeping the bases clean and not allowing any more damage.
Chase Anderson changed his catching gear for the pitcher’s mound in those last two innings. No hits and striking out 4 kept Canyon Middle School in the doldrums.
“When I am catching I know how the umpire is calling the game,” Chase Anderson mused when asked if that is an extra benefit when going to the mound. On his strategy when he has a bat in his hands? “I am just looking for my pitch, if I go down in the count, 0-2, then I will just choke up on my bat to help get the bat on the ball or try to work for a walk.”
This game was put in cruise control in the 4th inning with a 5 run frame that had this contest run ruled.
The first five Hawks reached base when (you guessed it) Chase Anderson worked a full count walk to start what would be the inning.
Chase Anderson’s on base percentage thus far is a mind blowing 81% which has resulted in a team leading 8 runs scored. That motif of scoring runs would continue with a bases clearing triple to right field by Helijah Johnson putting a fork in these Cougars.
On what the secret is for this MV team, Johnson commented, “It all starts with the coaching…they work us hard and all the time and they (coaches) just put us to work.”
“I just focus on what I’m doing and keep going,” Johnson continued.
Chase Anderson responded on how this team will approach the Thursday’s game, “Our last game is in the past and we will just bring it to Thursday and focus and have the same approach.”
Mountain Valley will go into their next contest sporting an unblemished record (3-0) and will face off against Smithson Valley Middle School.
MVMS will not be able to compete against all of the teams due to so many rain outs, but at this writing, the Hawks, will have a chance to solidify their first place status against the once beaten SVMS team.
Go Hawks!!
1 2 3 4 R H E Canyon Middle School 1 0 0 0 1 2 5 Mountain Valley Hawks 4 2 0 5 11 8 1 ab r h bi 3b bb so misc Hunter Anderson 3 1 1 0 0 0 0 Chase Anderson 1 3 1 1 1 2 0 Ty Sellers 2 2 1 1 0 0 0 sf roe sb Brayden Welch 2 1 1 0 0 1 0 sb Helijah Johnson. 2 1 1 3 1 1 1 Hayden Baker 3 2 2 2 0 0 0 roe sb Emmett Greiman 2 0 1 1 0 0 0 ph Marshall McConnell 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 Brett Harwell 3 0 0 0 0 0 0 ph Marshall McConnell 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 Gage Gibbons 1 1 0 0 0 0 0 roe sb ph Andrew Miller 2 0 0 0 0 0 1 Totals 25 11 8 8 2 4 2 Pitching ip h r er bb so W L S Hayden Baker 2.0 2 1 1 4 3 1 0 0 Chase Anderson 2.0 0 0 0 1 4 0 0 0 Totals 4.0 2 1 1 5 7 Pitches-Strikes: Hayden Baker 54-27 50% Chase Anderson 29-18 62% totals 83-45 54%