East Bay flirts with no-hitter, settles for 11-1 win at Brandon

By Bob Bellone, Senior Staff Writer

BRANDON – East Bay came within one out of a no-hit victory against non-district rival Brandon on Wednesday night.

Who knew?

Truth be told, hardly anyone in the ballpark realized history could be in the making amid the Brandon traffic on the basepaths.

It certainly was the furthest thing from the minds of the two Indians pitchers – starter Reilly Kinney and fellow junior right-hander Dylan Simonsen – who nearly accomplished the feat in an 11-1 triumph.

Even the batter who ultimately spoiled the occasion was stunned by the news long afterward.

“They had a no-hitter?” Eagles shortstop Carson Junttila exclaimed upon hearing of the significance of his screaming double just inside the left-field line with two down in the seventh. “I didn’t know it. I just got up there; I was like, ‘If he gives me a fastball, I’m going to hit it,’ and that’s what I got.”

Simonsen concurred. “It was a fastball inside,” he said. “I hit the spot. He just got around on it, turned on it.”

Kinney was lifted after issuing a leadoff walk, his fifth, in the fourth. An error sandwiched by two more free passes from Simonsen led to the lone Brandon run.

“I think I was just in my head a little bit,” Kinney said, “gripping the ball too hard.”

By the time Junttila performed his heroics, the Eagles had runners aboard in all but two innings – leaving the bases loaded in the second and fourth – courtesy of seven walks (one intentionally), an error and a hit batsman.

East Bay also had runners galore – nine reached on hits (including a pair each from Andrew Gingrich and Rory Beauford Jr.), another nine on walks, and three were struck by pitches to go along with three Brandon errors.

The win was the first for new Indians coach Rowland Ruiz, who led Brandon to victory when the teams met on the same field exactly one year ago to the day.

“It was absolutely fun to come back,” said Ruiz, who described the victory as bittersweet. “I love all the boys on that side.”

Michael Armstrong, his replacement at Brandon, inherited a youthful team that has failed to produce an earned run in four of its five games to date.

Next up for the Indians and Eagles are their Saladino Tournament openers Saturday. In the eight-team Silver Division, East Bay (1-3) has a 1 p.m. date with rival Riverview at Sumner High. Brandon (1-4) will host the six-team Bronze Division event and face Armwood at 4.

⚾⚾⚾⚾

East Bay 11
Brandon 1

E 100|031|6 – |11|9|1
B  000|100|0 – |1|1|3
W – Simonsen; L – Garcia
2B – Wright (E); Junttila (B). Records – E (1-3); B (1-4).

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