BAKER — Don’t blame Baker School baseball Coach Adam Henry for feeling as if the baseball gods have it in for the Gators.
The ball just hasn’t bounced Baker’s way in the early part of the season. Entering Monday’s game with Walton the Gators had a 2-6 record.
Three of those losses were by a run. A fourth loss was by two runs. To say Henry and the Gators needed a break would be an understatement.
Baker-Walton baseball photos>>>
But as the saying goes, “When it rains, it pours.” When the baseball gods aren’t in your corner when it rains it really does.
A rain aided single off the bat of Koleman Truett in the top of the 10th inning drove in Jace Fielder as the Braves beat the Gators 4-3.
Baker outhit Walton 12-6, but the only thing Henry was focused on was the final score that favored the Braves.
“The bloops (bloop hits by Walton) are what got us tonight,” Henry said. “We swung the bat a lot better than we have been. I’m proud of the way we swung the bat.
“We had some good hits tonight. We just have to have them in a timely manner and figure out how to get over that hump.”
The Braves (7-3) took a quick lead in the top of the first inning as they scored two unearned runs off of Baker starting pitcher Colton Kilpatrick.
Kilpatrick settled in and shut down the Braves for the next five innings.
Baker’s climb back into the game started with a run in the third. Austin Hicks led off the inning with a double. He took third on a wild pitch and scored as Travis Adams grounded out.
Logan Rickmon led off the Gator fifth with a single to right. Rickmon moved to second an infield out and scored on wicked line drive single off the bat of Austin Davis.
Davis later scored on a Hunter Cannon single.
The score remained 3-2 in favor of the Gators until Walton tied the game in the seventh to send it into extra innings.
With one out Truman Morrison was hit by a Kilpatrick pitch. Morrison scored the tying run on a hit by Tyler Lawncizak.
Tyler Wood went the distance on the mound for the Braves.
Kilpatrick was replaced by Hicks with one out in the seventh. Hicks got the hard luck loss.
“We are right on the verge (of breaking out),” Henry said. “If we can get over that hump and I think things will start going the right way for us.”
Email News Bulletin Sports Editor Randy Dickson, follow him on Twitter or call 850-682-6524.
This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: Baker drops heartbreaker to Walton (PHOTOS, VIDEO)