Douglas Avoids First Loss With Come-From-Behind Win Over Coral Glades

There was a distinct buzz in the crowd last night when the visiting and undefeated Douglas Eagles were completing their pre-game warm-ups. As game-time neared and the crowd increased in number, a noticeable hush replaced the buzz.

This crosstown District 10-6A rivalry game between Douglas and Coral Glades could not have disappointed any baseball fan. It provided the type of drama that seems only to happen on Broadway or in dreams.

Douglas won the game 6-4, but the final score does not tell the story of the drama of the evening.

Things didn’t start out well for the Eagles when Jaguars southpaw starter Alex Kline breezed through the first inning, recording three strikeouts in the process.

Eagles starter John Valeck was not quite as sharp early. A pair of doubles by Austin Holzknecht and Greg Farber sandwiched around Oliver Christensen’s single made the score 2-0 Coral Glades.

The next two and a half innings provided little drama, as both starters settled into a decent groove. However when Kline successfully sacrificed Tyler Steiner to second leading off the bottom of inning four, it set the stage for Brandon Webb’s RBI single to center, increasing the Glades lead to 3-0.

When Kline retired the first two batters in the fifth, the Jags started to sense the reality of the situation. They were within sight of a stunning upset victory over a top ten nationally ranked team.

Enter the cardiac kids masquerading as Douglas Eagles baseball players. When the Jaguars right-fielder lost Danny Payton’s towering fly ball in the lights, the speedy Payton wound up on third with a triple. A pair of walks followed, the second of which was intentional, and now the bags were full.

What followed was a hard, two-run single to right by Courtland McEachrane. Two throwing errors later, the game was tied at three. That was it for Kline on the evening. However, the junior lefty did himself and his team proud by allowing only two earned runs in his outstanding five-inning stint, notching eight strikeouts along the way.

Seemingly undaunted, the home team came right back in their half of the inning when Steiner smacked his third hit of the game, driving home Farber who opened the frame with a walk. Once again Glades had the lead 4-3.

In a strange sixth, both teams were able to advance a runner to third with only one out, but neither was able to cash in on the opportunity.

Reliever Austin McMahon walked lead-off batter Payton in the seventh. Up to the plate strode Brandon Raaf who was often referred to as “The Babe” as in Ruth, when he was destroying pitchers coming up through the ranks in Little League.

Once again a hush came over the home team fans. Surely they were remembering last year
when Raaf slugged a seventh inning grand slam homer to tie the score at five apiece before Douglas went on to win in extra innings.

Again Raaf produced the big hit, driving a high outside pitch over the left-center field fence for the go-ahead two-run homer giving Douglas their first lead of the game, 5-4. The Eagles added an insurance run when Colton Bottomley drew a walk, stole second, and came home when McEachrane singled, picking up his third RBI of the game, extending the lead to 6-4.

A noticeably shocked and disappointed Glades team went down in their half of the seventh without scoring, as Louis Silvero picked up the save. Brandon Dreichler gets the win with three tough innings in relief and McMahon takes the loss.

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