Shockers Even Series With Bucks

By Dean Barker
​The #3 RCBL Shockers held off a late comeback attempt from the #2 Clover Hill Bucks for a 7-6 win in game two of the RCBL Semifinals on Monday, July 31. The win evened the best-of-five series at 1-1.
 
“They (the Shockers) knew it was a must-win, they had a bad taste in their mouth after last night,” Shockers head coach Nolan Potts said. “We knew we had Kirk (Messick) going today, we knew he’d keep us in the game and give us a shot, but that’s a good team over there.”
 
Kirk Messick picked up the win, throwing seven innings and giving up six earned runs on nine hits with three walks and four strikeouts.
 
“They’re a really good hitting ball club, and my defense was behind me like they always have been, and (I) just went as long as I could,” Messick said.
 
Matt House pitched two innings and gave up no runs with no hits, no walks and three strikeouts to get the save.
 
“I just trusted the defense, I mean, I can’t go in throwing balls, I had to go right at them and let the defense do their work,” House said.
 
Jaden Isidro gave up six runs (five earned) on eight hits with a walk and four strikeouts in six innings to take the loss. Will Waller gave up one earned run in two innings on three hits, one walk and two strikeouts.
 
The Shockers got on the board first with a Luke Keister sac fly to right to plate Frankie Ritter.
 
Clover Hill responded with a bases loaded single from TJ Johnson to take a 2-1 lead in the top of the second.
 
With the bases loaded in the bottom of the fifth, Bodie Pullen ripped a three run triple to right field to give the Shockers the lead back. Keister grounded out to second to bring in Pullen and make the lead 5-2.
 
“Ever since the playoffs started, I’ve been trying to have a better approach, really trying to be short to (the ball), put a barrel on the ball and just let it go,” Pullen said.
 
Kaden Spaid added to the lead in the sixth with an RBI single to left field.
 
Alex Knicely’s sacrifice grounder to shortstop, along with Josh Eberly’s RBI single, cut the lead to 6-4 in the top of the seventh.
 
After a leadoff triple from Pullen, Keister singled to left to make it 7-4 in the bottom of the seventh.
 
John Siciliano’s single to right in the top of the eighth cut the lead to two. With the bases loaded, Kyle Carlson grounded into a forceout at second to cut the lead to one, but Clover Hill could do no more.
 
The Shockers had seven runs on eleven hits with no errors and six runners left on base. Pullen led the way, going 2-4 with three RBIs. Keister was 1-3 with three RBIs. Spaid was 1-4 with an RBI. House was 2-4. Frankie Ritter went 2-5. Dawson Russell went 1-2. Harrison Madagan and Nick Arnold were both 1-4.
 
The Bucks had six runs on nine hits with two errors and six base runners stranded. Johnson led Clover Hill, going 2-3 with two RBIs. Siciliano was 2-4 with an RBI. Carlson went 1-3 with an RBI. Eberly was 1-5 with an RBI. Knicely went 0-4 with an RBI. Lucas Bauer was 1-2. Jose Rocha and Kevin Navedo were both 1-5.
 
Game three will take place at Buck Bowman Park on Wednesday, August 2 at 7:30 pm.

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