Wickliffe erases seven-run deficit, tops Harvey

A seven-run deficit, keyed by timely Harvey hits and a few Wickliffe mistakes, left the Blue Devils in a deep, early hole. Helmets were spiked and bats flipped in the early innings as frustration mounted in the Wickliffe dugout.

As stiff rains drenched the middle innings, the leadership of a few threeyear starters helped the Blue Devils weather heady circumstances. Lucas Thomeier pitched 5 1/3 sound innings of relief, Christian Martinitis keyed a pair of 5-run innings and the Blue Devils beat Harvey, 10-9.

“Me and Christian have probably the most experience on the team,” Thomeier said. “Kids look up to us. We’ve lost six or seven guys from last year so we’re role models for the future program. We’ve got to set a good example and keep going hard.”

Wickliffe coach Phil Motta needed Thomeier to move from center field to the mound in the second inning, and he held the Red Raiders scoreless for the next three frames. Then, the Blue Devils mounted a comeback in their third turn again Harvey starter Adam Pillar.

Nick Colbert, Rob Johnson and Martinitis rapped out three straight RBI singles before Dylan Ward’s two-run double drew the Blue Devils within 7-5. Harvey scored a pair of wouldbe insurance runs in the its next at-bat. Martinitis cleared the bases in the home sixth and Wickliffe took the lead on RBI knocks by Jacob Chesnes and Ward.

“Christian’s been clutch for us ever since he came to this program,” Motta said. “He comes up with the bases loaded, that’s the kid you want in that spot for sure.”

Thomeier retired the Red Raiders in order in the seventh to complete the rally. He and Martinitis, fittingly, were at the center of it as they encouraged their teammates to remain focused.

“We try to tell them to stay poised and do what you can,” Thomeier said. “Do what you can control, and that’s making plays, making the next play and hitting the ball hard.”

Tyler Michalski drove in three runs in the first two innings to spur Harvey’s offense. The Red Raiders capitalized on a pair of Wickliffe errors to hang a four-run second and go ahead, 7-0.

Pillar scattered four hits over four shutout innings before Harvey coach Brett Munn noticed Wickliffe tailored its approach against the freshman right-hander. From there, Wickliffe simply outhit Harvey.

Munn said he was disappointed in a losing outcome, but not by the way the Red Raiders played against an experienced team. Nine runs are often enough to win, an encouraging output by a Harvey lineup featuring three freshmen.

“I said Wickliffe beats teams,” Munn said. “Name a team and they can beat them, or they’ll at least compete with those guys. That should give these guys confidence going forward knowing that we should be able to compete with most teams.”