Spoto taps into new strategy, edges East Bay
By Bob Bellone
Senior Staff Writer
RIVERVIEW – Stephan Knight, in the unspecified absence of head coach Mike Boyd, took charge of the Spoto dugout for Thursday night’s home opener against East Bay and employed small-ball tactics for a big victory.
Cullen Cairns allowed only three hits while going the distance in the 2-1 extra-inning triumph. The sophomore right-hander wasn’t touched for a hit until the fifth, when East Bay’s Ty Andrews stroked a two-out single. Andrews attempted to stretch it into a double, but left fielder Jacob Garbett cut him down at second base.
While manufacturing the deciding run in the eighth, Spoto batters never put a full swing on the ball against a pair of relief pitchers. Mikey Britton drew a leadoff walk off Jose Rivera, and Peyton Nisy followed with a bunt single – his third hit of the game. Rivera was through after striking Chase Wink in the neck with a pitch, filling the bases.
Brenden Hone moved from second base to the mound and got two quick outs at the plate off bunted balls. A hurried throw to first in a double-play bid wound up in shallow right field, and Wink came around from second for the game winner.
“It was a crazy experience,” said Wink, who was already homeward bound when the throw to first was made. “I was going. We were going to win that game.”
Knight decided early what it would take for the Spartans to rebound after going hitless with 15 strikeouts in Tuesday’s season-opening loss at Leto.
“We came out the first two innings, couldn’t put the ball in play,” he said. “So, after that, I pulled them to the side. I said, ‘Hey, look, we’re going to have to play small ball. Get on base and I’ll move you in. We’ll score,’ and that’s what happened.”
It happened first in the bottom of the fourth. Britton and Nisy led off with singles, and Wink sacrificed them into scoring position. Abel Jimenez followed with a bunt single that squeezed Britton home with first run of the night.
East Bay drew even in the sixth inning. With one out, pinch hitter Bobby Hayes reached on an infield single, stole second, and Rivera followed with a run-scoring double.
Cairns was about to be lifted in the eighth by a pitch-count restriction, but he made good on his vow to finish off the Indians in time.
“It was a great night. Just pitch to contact, that’s all I needed to do,” Cairns said. “After the second or third inning, I found my zone. I had my rhythm, and they weren’t going to touch me on the field. And if they did, I’d just come out pounding the zone.”
East Bay starter Andrew Pierce – who pitched five strong innings, striking out nine and walking only one – crossed the diamond in the aftermath to congratulate his counterpart.
“It’s a tough one,” Pierce said. “We fought hard, but they just pulled it out there at the end. We had a few little defensive mistakes that cost us.”
Both teams (1-1) have their third consecutive non-district game set for Tuesday night. Spoto will visit Lennard while East Bay hosts Sumner in its home opener.
