Steady pitching and McIntyre’s patience key Middleton win
Middleton senior RJ McIntyre drives in the game’s first run with a single. McIntyre was 2-for-4 with an RBI groundout, a double and scored twice in the Tigers win at Spoto.
By Jarrett Guthrie
Editor
RIVERVIEW – Middleton catcher RJ McIntyre was pretty candid after Tuesday’s game about his work on defense, saying he still has a bit to learn in his new transition behind the dish. But at the plate, the veteran senior produced in four, highly-productive at-bats putting up a pair of hits, two RBI and scoring twice as Middleton claimed a 6-4 victory in a three-plus hour affair at Spoto.
McIntyre’s night at backstop started tough, taking a follow through to the base of his facemask in the first inning, but he steadied himself and stayed in, later making a putout at the plate and producing all night on offense. But the Tigers senior tipped his hat postgame to his pitchers for the win.
“I’m a pretty novice catcher,” McIntyre said. “I’m working on sticking to the basics, hitting my marks and letting things take care of themselves. But tonight, pretty much everything belonged to our pitchers.”
McIntyre makes a putout at the plate for the Tigers.
Senior Artavious Williams delivered three innings, striking out eight before he was relieved – according to Middleton (4-7) coach Mark Whiten, in hopes he could be available for the Tigers Friday game at Wharton – while earning a no-decision. The win belonged to junior Jacari Sandlin, whose two, scoreless innings provided some steadying moments in the game, as the righty struck out five of the six outs he recorded, allowing just one hit. Nathan Vong, who entered in a tough, bases-loaded situation in the sixth and kept all but one Spoto (2-10) runner from scoring, finished off the final frame to earn the save.
“I’ve been doing a bullpen game the last couple of games,” Whiten joked. “It’s about trying to get guys some work, get them the chance to throw more strikes. If they are out there more often, then they’ll find a comfort zone and tonight it looked like it worked.”
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- Tigers senior Artavious Williams struck out eight in a no-decision.
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- Junior Jacari Sandlin struck out five earning the win in relief.
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- Middleton senior Nathan Vong entered with the bases loaded and pitched two innings to pick up the save.
Vong, who struggled with some shoulder soreness entering the season and is just starting to get stretched out on the mound, talked about being called upon in a tight spot.
“It’s a really nerve-wracking experience having the bases loaded when you come in,” Vong said. “You know if you mess up you can cost your team the game. So, I just focused on throwing strikes and not letting them hit a home run off me. I got a couple outs behind me and got us out of that spot.”
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- Spartans sophomore Peyton Nisy pulls into third, just prior to scoring in the first inning.
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- Spoto’s Omer Fernandez scored on an error.
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- Middleton’s Naky Allen was 2-for-4 with an RBI double in the win.
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- Spoto P Chase Wink pitched 1 1/3 scoreless innings of relief.
McIntyre wasn’t the only Middleton hitter to have success, though the Tigers did struggle at times with the pace and curveball-heavy repertoire from Spartans starting pitcher Cullen Cairns. Middleton had four hitters with two hits in the win, with Naky Allen’s RBI double to centerfield scoring McIntyre in the fourth among the highlights.
Cairns struck out five in his 4 1/3 innings of work, but eventually the Tigers found a rhythm against his curveball, and waited for fastballs.
“Most of our guys aren’t that great at hitting curveballs, but if they lay off of them, eventually they’ll get a fastball,” Whiten said. “When he started missing with it, our guys got things they could handle and did a good job with those.”
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- Spoto senior left field Jacob Garbett makes a catch in the first.
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- Spartans starting pitcher Cullen Cairns.
McIntyre said his approach was to open his stance and throw his shoulders square at pitches.
“To have a productive at-bat, I feel like you need to hit the ball backside,” McIntyre said. “Doing that just opens you up to success.”
Williams got the night started for the Tigers, wearing a pitch to leadoff the game, stealing second and scoring on an RBI single by McIntyre. The speedy, versatile Williams would also draw two walks in the game, scoring half of the Tigers’ six runs.
Peyton Nisy singled in first, stole second and took third on a passed ball, before scoring on a Chase Wink ground ball. The duo would add a seventh-inning run as Wink doubled to center to cut the Tigers lead to two runs, but Vong would record the final out and preserve the win.
Spoto junior Chase Wink sends an RBI double into center in the seventh inning.
Nisy pitched the Spartans final inning, allowing two unearned runs and striking out a pair (one reaching on a dropped strike three), but also picked off a pair of runners at second base.
Tuesday’s victory marks two-in-a-row for Middleton, which travels to Wharton on Friday; while Spoto travels to Sumner for a district matchup on Thursday.
RJ McIntyre’s fifth inning double.
Middleton 6
Spoto 4
M 101|020|2 – |6|8|3
S 110|001|1 – |4|4|1
W – Sandlin (1-1); L – Cairns; S – Vong (1)
2B – McIntyre, Allen 2 (M); Wink (S). Records – M (4-7); S (2-10).
