Bucks Hold Serve and Come Away Victorious 16-14

By Leyton Pullin
The Clover Hill Bucks prevailed over the Stuarts Draft Diamondbacks 16-14 at the Diamond Club on Tuesday night in a crazy back and forth affair.

The game saw 30 combined runs, 25 total hits, 7 errors and 6 total homeruns.

Clover Hill started the scoring right away in the top of the 1st. Doug Pollock would struggle to start the game for the D-Backs loading the bases up on a hit batsman and two walks. John Siciliano would deliver with the bases loaded for the Bucks with a 2 RBI single to make it a 2-0 game. One batter after Kevin Navedo would score on a wild pitch to stretch the Clover Hill lead out to 3-0.

Stuarts Draft struck back in the 2nd the best way they know how as Grayson Bush crushed a solo homerun to right center field to make it a 3-1 game.

Clover Hill’s bats wouldn’t be silenced for long as they stretched their lead once again. In the top of the 3rd Siciliano reached on a fly ball that dropped between a foursome of Stuarts Draft fielders. Kevin Kirk delivered the next at bat with a two-run homerun over the double decker wall in right field to extend the lead to 5-1.

Stuarts Draft bounced right back in the bottom half of the 3rd with back-to-back singles by Calen Owens and Zach Roberts to lead things off. The next two batters would be retired before Cody Bartley delivered a three-run smash to right center to cut into the Bucks lead 5-4.

Clover Hill continued the tennis match style of play as they put three runs up in the 4th. Jacob Grabeel showed off his wheels with a leadoff triple followed by a Navedo walk to get the inning started. Cody Swisher did his job as he singled and scored Grabeel. Siciliano singled the very next at bat to drive in Navedo. Siciliano would score later in the inning on a sacrifice fly to stretch the lead out to 8-4.

Stuarts Draft did not bounce back until the bottom of the 5th and they did in a big way putting up a four-spot including a Chaz Harvey RBI sacrifice fly to tie the game at 8-8.
Clover Hill wouldn’t let the game stay tied for long, In the 6th Taylor Fitzgerald would deliver a 2 RBI single to score Swisher and Kirk to go up 10-8.

Right on cue Stuarts Draft’s offense would explode out of the 7th inning stretch putting up another four-spot. Tyler Wilcher would come to the plate with the bases loaded and deliver a 2 RBI single. He was followed by a Calen Owens RBI ground out that would score Bush to put the D-backs in front for the first time all night. Zach Roberts would cap off the inning with an RBI double to score Wilcher and stretch the lead to 12-10.

Clover Hill would break back in true tennis match fashion in the top of the 8th. Kevin Kirk drew a lead off walk before a Ross French delivered a two-run homerun over the double wall to tie the game. That was not all for the Bucks as Lucas Adam would come in to try and keep the game tied for the D-Backs. The bases would become loaded on a hit, error and a walk before Bridgewater College Senior Jacob Grabeel crushed a Grand Slam on a two-strike pitch to put the Bucks out in front 16-12.

Stuarts Draft attempted to put a comeback together in the bottom of the 8th as Tucker Hrasky came in for the Bucks. Will Hass would lead the inning off with a walk. The next two batters would be retired before Chaz Harvey delivered a two-run homerun to cut the lead to 16-14. Grayson Bush drew a walk the next at bat. He advanced all the way to third base before being stranded after Wilcher grounded out to third base to end the inning.

Hrasky would appear back in the bottom of the 9th for the Bucks and would surrender a two out hit to Terrell Thompson but would retire Wilcher the very next at bat to end the game.

For Stuarts Draft they fall to 5-5 on the season with the loss as they approach the halfway point of the season. Lucas Adam (0-1) takes the loss for the D-Backs after not recording an out in the 8th inning and giving up the grand slam to Grabeel. Stuarts Draft will be back in action on Friday July 2 as they will host the Broadway Bruins (6-3) at 7:30PM.

The Bucks pick up their sixth win on the year and move to 6-3 on the year. Clover Hill will have a chance to take second place in the standings as they travel to Broadway on Wednesday June 30 at 7:30 PM. Haden Baldwin (1-0) picks up the win for the Bucks in a wild outing despite being in line for the loss when he came off of the mound after the 7th inning. Grabeel had the game winning Grand Slam in the 8th inning for the Bucks. “I choked up with two strikes and tried to put a ball in the air to the outfield,” said Grabeel. Grabeel came into the game struggling at the plate just hitting .077 on the year headed into the game. He went 2 for 4 on the night with a triple, a homerun and 4 RBI.