Douglas’ Bats Speak Loudest In 19-14 Shootout Win Over St. Thomas Aquinas

When things are not going well for a baseball team, often the best cure is to simply go out and crush the ball.

Both Douglas and St. Thomas Aquinas did just that on Thursday evening on the Raiders home field, as the teams combined for 32 hits and nine total home runs in a marathon affair that Douglas ultimately won 19-14.

The Eagles (17-3) had lost three in a row after starting the season with a perfect record that had earned them national recognition, and are in the second of a three-week suspension for coach Dean Florio following an on-field incident on April 8^th.

“We can hit the ball,” said Douglas coach Elliott Bonner, who has assumed the head coaching role in Florio’s absence. “We got what we needed tonight. If we throw strikes and play defense we can compete with anyone, because we will hit.”

The Eagles scored in every inning but the sixth and kept their foot on the gas all night by also stealing six bases.

Senior leadoff hitter Louis Silverio reached base every time, going 4-for-4 with a walk, double, stolen base, three runs and three RBI.

“I had been struggling to get on base, but I was trying not to put too much pressure on myself,” said Silverio. “I was seeing the ball well tonight and not jumping at it.”

Although the Eagles had five home runs as a team – all coming from two players – it was Silverio’s ability to get on base that sparked the offense, according to Coach Bonner.

“When Louis Silverio hits, we go with him,” he said.

Junior Colton Bottomley had a career night, blasting three home runs while drawing a pair of walks to reach base every at bat.

“That was something I’ve never done before,” said Bottomley of the hat trick, while admitting he had focused more on his hitting lately during practice. “It feels great… but we still have to do what we need to win districts now.”

Bottomley’s third home run was a shot to dead center-field that gave him five RBIs on the night, and he also scored four runs.

Seniors Jake Rudock and Austin Barron went deep for the Raiders, and junior Enrique Finol’s longball was perhaps the longest shot of the night that sailed deep over the Raiders’ scoreboard between center and right field. But it was senior Matt Franco’s who did the most damage, as the rightfielder crushed a grand slam as part of a seven-run second inning that gave St. Thomas its only lead, 7-5.

Senior Ryan Reyes also was 3-for-4 with a double and two runs for the Raiders (11-8), and senior Charlie Cormier made the most of two pinch-hit at bats with a pair of RBI singles.

 “We’re frustrated, and we’ve had a rough week. We made mental mistakes, but they are correctable,” said Raiders coach Bobby Lawson, whose team also came out on the wrong end of a lopsided loss to Archbishop McCarthy on Tuesday. “But this is why I like playing teams like them, because the margin of error is so small.”

Raiders senior Mike Gaither took the loss to fall to 4-3.

Senior Patrick Kulick also went deep twice for Douglas, and junior Ryan Thomas was 3-for-3 with two RBI and a stolen base while also scoring each time.

“We were just staying back on the ball,” said senior Brandon Raaf, who was 2 for 5. “This is the perfect time to be hitting well, before districts.”

Junior Jacob Lennertz picked up the win on the mound to improve to 2-0 this season.

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