The contest took two innings and 32 minutes to finish Tuesday, with Jacob Forsythe’s two-out RBI single in the top of the 10th giving Fenwick an 11-10 victory.
“It was really tough to get pumped up today. Honestly, I don’t think we were,” said Forsythe, a junior who also picked up the win by throwing two innings of scoreless ball. “It was just kind of a get-out-here, get-a-win, get-out-of-here kind of attitude.
“But it’s huge to end the year like this, and the seniors get to go out with a win. Very few seniors get to do that.”
The Falcons, who finished 16-12 overall and 7-2 in the GCL, squandered 8-2 and 10-8 leads in the seventh and eighth innings May 3 before darkness halted play.
“To win any division of the GCL is a pretty good consolation prize. I think the kids will realize that even more later,” Fenwick coach Bob Sherlock said. “We had a little bit of a mental fog going on when we got here, but once they got a guy to second base, I think that woke them up a little bit.
“All we tried to stress to them today is that you’re going to have things happen in your life that you’re just going to have to move on from, and they did that. I’m very proud of them. It’s especially tough to let these seven seniors go. They’re very, very special.”
Logan Reardon walked, stole second and came home on Forsythe’s sharp single to right-center field off Zach Uzzel in the 10th.
The Patriots (15-12, 5-4) got a one-out double from Baylen Shoemaker in the ninth. But after an intentional walk, Forsythe escaped the jam with a double-play grounder.
In the bottom of the 10th, Forsythe hit one batter and walked two, but he picked off a runner at second base, and Carroll stranded men on first and second.
“I don’t know how many runners I’ve left on base as a pitcher this year, so I had full confidence that we could get out of that,” Forsythe said. “I didn’t think we were going to lose for a minute.”
It was a frustrating defeat for a Patriots squad that struggled to win close games all year.
“That’s been the story of our season,” Carroll coach Mike Sheets said. “Not executing the little things will cost you a run and get you beat in games like this.”
About the Author