Walton gets ahead, as Wolves sting the ‘Rays
Newsome senior Wade Walton attains “ultimate goal” of more than 73% strikes as he held Sumner to one run on three hits, and struck out nine in the Wolves victory.
By Jarrett Guthrie, Editor
LITHIA – Adhering to the old adage, “you take what they give you,” Newsome’s Wade Walton was more than willing to consistently take “Strike 1” if Sumner were (not) offering.
The Wolves senior allowed one Stingrays’ run to start, then worked five scoreless innings while Newsome’s offense stretched its lead out enough to fend off a late Sumner rally, winning 7-3.
Sumner junior Luke Parsons walked and scored on a Winston Pennant single in the first inning.
For his part Walton struggled a bit in the first, issuing a walk and back-to-back singles from Sebastian Peralta and Winston Pennant (RBI ground ball to left). But the inning started a noticeable trend as Sumner seemed to make Walton come after them by, more often than not, taking a called “Strike 1.”
“We knew coming in that they are a really good-hitting team,” Walton said, “… but I got out of (the first inning) with only allowing one run. I knew I had to flush it, go back out there and pound the zone.”
Wolves senior righty and High Point University signee Wade Walton.
And “pound the zone” Walton did. Of the 23 batters Walton faced, 15 watched strike one, with three of those doing so after also watching “Ball 1,” and eight batters either fouled off or swung at the first strike they saw. In his final two innings on the mound he faced seven batters and he got “Strike 1” looking each time, with just one turning into a single. A trend, the High Point signee admitted he didn’t pick up on until late in the outing.
“After the fourth inning,” Walton said, asked when he noticed.
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He continued: “I think, honestly, I saw the top of the lineup, was like (stepping in with) bat-on-shoulder, taking. That’s the ultimate goal, trying to have 65% or more strikes. And if that first pitch is a strike, I know I’m going to do pretty damn well out there.”
Stingrays catcher Daniel Dugarte catches a runner stealing in the fourth inning.
Sumner shortstop Ethan DeJesus drops down a tag as Dugarte threw out a stealing Logan Castro.
After Pennant’s RBI single, Walton issued one of his two walks in the game to load the bases before getting out of things with the first of his nine strikeouts and an inning-ending ground out.
Sumner starting shortstop Sebastian Peralta went deep into center field to make this acrobatic catch.
The one-run Sumner (6-4) lead was short-lived as the Wolves put together a solid two-out-hitting approach. A walk to Ryan Spitzer started things in the home-half, he then was moved along by a wild pitch, and driven in by an Ocean Cozart single lined into right.
“It was really important (to respond),” Cozart said, “and with two outs, Spitzer walked in a great at-bat. I tried to drive the ball to the other side and advance him.”
Sophomore Ocean Cozart lines a single into right to drive in the game’s tying run in the first.
Newsome (9-3) wasn’t done there, adding three more runs to put the game out of reach as Cash Peterson (2-for-3, two runs scored) doubled in a pair, and Trey Bosso continued the rally with an RBI single up the middle.
“We were down by a run, two outs and we rallied,” Peterson said. “We needed to fight back, and I went up there, knew I needed to support my pitcher, saw two runners on and knew I had to do a job.”
Wolves senior Cash Peterson sends a two-run double to left.
In right field Cozart hustled in and toward the line sliding for an inning-ending catch in the second – the first of three-straight 1-2-3 innings from Walton. Walton would face just one over the minimum – an 0-2 count single from Peralta – his final five innings.
Rightfielder Ocean Cozart ran down a ball near the line to end the top of the second inning.
Unfortunately for Sumner, a dropped ball in right, which would have ended the third inning, gave Newsome two more, two-out runs. And Bosso would walk to start the sixth and eventually scored on a wild pitch.
Stingrays right fielder Winston Pennant settles under a pop fly.
Sumner scratched out two runs in the seventh off of Wolves reliever, side-arm righty Isaiah Sanchez, when a throwing error on a Zach Hutchinson ground ball put him at second, an Ethan DeJesus’ single moved him up, and he scored on a wild pitch.
DeJesus would advance and score on wild pitches, thrown around on a Daniel Dugarte productive ground ball sandwiched around two more wild pitches. But Sanchez would find his composure and finish his inning and the game with a strikeout.
Sebastian Peralta, who managed two of the Stingrays’ four hits, puts on the breaks around third base.
Sumner starting pitcher DeJesus, worked 2 2/3 innings, allowing four earned on four hits, three walks with three strikeouts.
Sumner sophomore Ethan DeJesus struck out three in his start.
Rhyan Yetman struck out three and allowed just one hit, and Avry Charland struck out one, as one unearned run scored in his single inning of work.
Both teams return to action on Saturday, as Newsome hosts Leto at 10 am, and Sumner welcomes Steinbrenner for an 11 am first pitch.
The Newsome dugout comes alive as Ocean Cozart holds onto his batting helmet and rushes to the plate.
⚾
#7 Newsome 7, Sumner 3
S 100|000|2 – |3|4|1
N 402|001|x – |7|5|2
W – Walton; L – DeJesus
2B – Peterson (N). Records – S (6-4); N (9-3).
Wolves senior second baseman Drew Mega throws to first for an out in the first. Mega drew a pair of walks at the plate and scored twice for the Wolves.
