Knights earn win in see-saw tilt at Hillsborough
By Rick Cantor
Staff writer
Tuesday, March 29, 2022
TAMPA – Robinson took advantage of a pair of defensive miscues in a five-run seventh inning to claim an 8-6, come-from-behind victory over Hillsborough in a wild see-saw affair at Billy Reed Field on Tuesday night.
Robinson (9-4) got on the board in the top of the first when starting pitcher Lamont Akins III helped his own cause with a sacrifice fly to open the scoring.
As would be the theme of the game, the Terriers answered back in the bottom of the frame when leadoff hitter Cam Mallo (2-for-3, BB, two runs) singled to right, advanced on a passed ball and eventually came around to score on a balk by Akins.
Hillsborough (8-4) took their first lead of the game in the next inning when speedy center fielder Donald Gorgei walked, stole second and came home when an errant throw sailed into left field as he stole third.
Terrier starting pitcher Salvy Urso (5 2/3ip, six hits, three runs, three K) escaped a bases-loaded jam in the second and cruised through the third before running into trouble in his fourth inning. A wild pitch on a third strike led to Jeremiah Henderson getting aboard. Cole Granese singled and Ryan Sawdy followed with his first varsity hit, a single to load the bases. Jacob Maskin’s sac fly and Cameron Duss RBI single swung the advantage back to Robinson.
Mallo led off the bottom of the fifth with another opposite field single and after walks to Tanner Jones and Gorgei. With the bases juiced and Akins at 95 pitches, the Knights brought in another lefty in Owen Brown to face known Robinson killer Elijah Burse. Burse, who nailed a grand slam in a 2021 Saladino tournament game versus the Knights, promptly cleared the bases with a double, putting Hillsborough back on top by a pair.
Domenic Fernandez (No. 13) and Cole Granese (No. 9)
It appeared the game would be in hand as center fielder turned flame throwing reliever Gorgei was brought in to start the top of the seventh. The Knights caught a break however, as a routine fly ball by Aleks Yarich was mishandled to start the inning. After a walk to Brown, sophomore Domenic Fernandez laced a single to left. The ball was misplayed and rolled to the wall allowing the tying runs to cross the dish.
“I was just trying to stay short because he (Gorgei) was throwing pretty hard,” said Fernandez. “He hung a curveball or slider to me. It felt good that I could help the team and get the game tied.”
The Knights were not done yet.
After an intentional walk to Henderson, Granese (3-for-4, two RBI, two runs) seized on the momentum and delivered a two-run double to center that turned out to be the difference in the game. Robinson would tack on another run with a well-executed double steal of second and home.
Hillsborough fought until the end, pushing across a run in the final inning on another RBI by Burse (2-for-3, four RBI, BB), before senior Tyler Kirkner ended the threat with a pair of strikeouts.
“We’ve got a lot of guys putting in the work every day,” said Granese. “We got some clutch hits and some clutch pitching and got the job done. It was a nice win for us”
⚾⚾⚾⚾
Robinson 8
Hillsborough 6
R 100|200|5 – |8|9|1
H 110|030|1 – |6|6|6
W – Brown (1-1); L – Gorgei (1-1); S – Kirkner (1)
2B – Granese (R); Burse (H). Records – R (9-4); H (8-3).
