Meiser's walk-off sends Broadway into first place

By Matthew Atkins

BROADWAY - Broadway Bruins head coach Justin Getz doesn’t remember the last time his team was in first place. But after their 5-4 win over New Market on Tuesday, he’s happy to be there now.
 
“It feels good. I can not remember a time that we’ve been there,” Getz said. “Coming from two wins, three wins, fighting to get two wins a couple years ago, it feels really good for the guys who have been around for a little while.”
 
Broadway came into Tuesday night half a game behind Clover Hill for first place in the Western Division, but some late-inning heroics gave the Bruins the edge they needed.
 
Taking on New Market for the third time this season, Broadway struggled to get any offense going early in the game.
 
The Shockers scored first in the top of the fourth on an RBI single by Nick Goode. New Market plated two more in the top of the sixth, increasing their lead to three runs.

It wasn’t until the bottom of the seventh that Broadway was able to get anybody across the plate. Dan Fry hit a two-RBI single to give the Bruins their first runs of the game. In the next at bat, John Ackerman hit a single that bounced off New Market pitcher John Bentley and scored another run, tying the game.
 
The Shockers took the lead back in the top of the eighth, but Broadway wasn’t done yet.
 
In the bottom half of the inning, Bryce Strawderman hit the ball to left field, where Nate Jaye dropped it, allowing a run to score. Jaye threw the ball to third baseman Josh Tayman, who tagged third base for a force out before throwing it to second for another force out. Due to the two force outs, the Broadway run did not count and the score went back to 4-3.
 
The controversy lasted for a few minutes as coaches from both teams talked it over with the umpires to figure out what had happened. The call from the umpires elicited lots of jeers from the crowd, but the decision had been made.
 
The Shockers couldn’t get anything going in the top of the ninth and sent the Bruins to the plate facing their last three outs.
 
During Kevin Rush’s at bat, ball four got away from the catcher, allowing Dan Fry to score from third to tie the game at four runs apiece.
 
With two outs and runners on first and third, Matt Meiser stepped up to the plate. Meiser made contact on a 1-1 pitch to drive home Boo Dean and secure the 5-4 walk-off win for Broadway.
 
“That was incredible. That was everything we asked for,” Getz said of Meiser’s last at bat. “He knew the situation and he knew the pitcher, he’s seen him a couple of times. He really stepped up when we needed him.”
 
With the win, Broadway improves to 5-1 on the season. Their next matchup comes this Friday as they host the Grottoes Cardinals at 7:30 p.m.
 
New Market will be back in action Friday as well as they travel to Bridgewater to take on the Reds. First pitch is scheduled for 7:30 p.m.

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