NEWS

Story and Photo by Taylor Bretl

The Aces are hot! After starting the year 2-3, the Alexandria Aces have won their fourth game in a row and improved their record to a league-best 6-3. Both sides of the ball have been playing well for the Aces, as they hold a +17 run differential during the win streak.

In Wednesday’s contest, a win didn’t come easy, as the South County Braves gave the Aces a competitive back-and-forth battle for all nine innings. A double by AJ DePaolo (Vanderbilt) in the bottom of the sixth would end up being the game-winning run for the Aces, helping them extend their win streak.

In the top of the first, Alex D’Ambrosio (Seton Hall) would strike out two batters. Shortly after in the bottom of the first, Braves starter Kyndall Cassidy (McLennan) would have a 1-2-3 inning, recording one strikeout.

Flipping the page to the bottom of the second inning, the scoring would come along in rather rapid fashion. To start off the inning, back-to-back hit by pitches were issued to the first two batters, Jamie Quinn-Irons (George Mason) and Riley DeCandido (Maryland). Not long after, with Quinn-Irons and DeCandido now standing on second and third, Amari Allen (Chipola) singled to drive in Quinn-Irons for the Aces first run of the evening. Up next, DePaolo hit a sacrifice fly to center field, allowing Candido to tag and take the lead 2-0. Two batters later, sitting in a 0-1 count, Jonathan Peltier (Wright State) took a wild pitch for a ball, which would venture far enough to the backstop to allow Allen to score the third run of the inning for the Aces.

Scoring would go silent until the top of fourth where Billy Fluharty (Bucknell) singled with bases loaded to drive in a run, cutting the Braves deficit to two. With only one out and bases still loaded, Shaun Okeeffe (George Mason) would pick up back-to-back strikeouts and escape the jam. Okeeffe’s night of relief would end with a dominant line of 1.2IP, 1 H, 0ER, BB, 4K.

Leaving runners stranded would be the theme of the night for the Braves, as they ended with a total of 13 runners left on base.

Moving into the sixth, the Braves were running out of innings to make a comeback. William Crochet (George Washington) would come into the game in relief for Okeeffe. He shut down his first two batters with ease via soft contact groundouts.The next batter he faced, Fluharty, walked on five pitches. Following the walk, pinch hitter Jack Pokorak (High Point) would show his manager that he was the right player to put in the game, as he smoked a double to the left-center gap, giving the Braves two runners in scoring position.

After the double came Katcher Halligan (Houston Christian). On the first pitch of the at bat, Crochet jammed Halligan, causing him to pop a shallow fly into left field. What should have been a routine out to end the inning turned into miscommunications between three Aces, resulting in a two-run bloop single for the Braves, tying the game at 3-3.

In the bottom of the frame, the Aces needed a response after the costly mistake. DeCandido drew a leadoff walk, and Allen would follow with a single to right center field, moving DeCandido up to third with only one out. On the first pitch of his at-bat, DePaolo doubled and drove in the game winning run for the Aces.

To help hold onto the 4-3 lead, pitchers Paul Witkop (Richmond) and Jesse Specter (West Chester) would combine for 3IP, 0H, 0ER, 0BB, 4K.

The Aces will hit the road and travel to Waldorf, Maryland to take on the Southern Maryland Senators (4-6) at 7p.m. For the Braves, they will head back home and face the DC Grays (5-4) also at 7p.m.