Hicks’ HR helps Yanks split on odd day
WASHINGTON — Aaron Hicks’ go-ahead tworun homer sparked chants of “Let’s go, Yankees!” on the road and helped New York beat Washington 4-2 in the second game of an unusual semi-doubleheader Monday, after pinchhitter Juan Soto’s tiebreaking two-run shot for the Nationals won the opener 5-3.
These games originally were scheduled more than a month ago, and Game 1 resumed after being suspended because of rain in the middle of the sixth — so technically, Soto managed to homer in a game played before he made his major league debut.
Huh?
The 19-year-old Soto was called up from the minors for the first time five days after Game 1 started on May 15; it picked back up at 3-all and the Nationals about to bat in the bottom of the sixth. After Bryce Harper — who had a full beard back on May 15, when the game began, but was clean-shaven this time — struck out, and Anthony Rendon singled, Soto drove a 97 mph fastball from Chad Green (4-1) to the back of the second deck in right field.
“I thought he had a good chance to hit the ball hard,” Nationals manager Dave Martinez said. “That was hard.”
It was Soto’s sixth homer since he was brought up from Double-A Harrisburg on May 20 — and
course management. I am a year smarter and since then I have a little more experience. I’d like to think my game is a little better and I am eager to get another crack at TPC River Highlands for sure.”
When he is there, he will run into his former teammate at Florida State Brooks Koepka who is coming off a second straight U.S. Open title.
“What talent he has, he is just fearless,” Seiffert said. “If you play with him every day, you could almost see it coming. He had the game for sure. He has just put it all together since he turned professional. He cleaned up his game where he needed to, his short game has gotten better, his putting really got better.”
While Seiffert left Ellington Ridge grinning from ear to ear, it was a much different story for Stamford’s Peter Ballo, who was the early leader on Monday with a 66. It looked like that would be enough to earn one of the four qualifying spots but Rick Lamb, playing in the final group, became the fourth player to finish with a 66 forcing a playoff among Lamb, Ballo, James Driscoll and Andrew
Svoboda with only three of them qualifying.
Ballo had the longest drive among the quartet and left himself a short birdie putt on the first playoff hole. Ballo pushed the putt right of the hole and when he chipped too far past the hole on the second extra hole, he was eliminated. Driscoll, Svoboda and Lamb will join Seffert in the Travelers field.
It was still a memorable day for the second assistant pro at Silvermine Golf Club in Norwalk as he birdied all four par-5 holes.
“I made some good putts, made some good shots and got it to 3 under through the turn,” Ballo said. “I came out hot on the backside which is the front nine, birdied first three. A few loose mistakes throughout the day, but I was able to get enough (shots) close and make some putts to kind of counteract a couple of bogeys I had.”
Ballo, four years removed from being the Northeast Conference’s Player of the Year while starring at Sacred Heart University, has found life teaching others how to play the sport he has learned to love as part of a golf family. The Ballo family tree features an older brother who recently made a spirited run at qualifying for the U.S. Open, a
father who played in 10 PGA events including four majors and a mom who played golf at the University of North Carolina.
“I grew up in golfing family,” Ballo said. “I saw it and had an older brother I was able to see what he went through when he went out to play.
“I really enjoy what I do. I like helping people and it also keeps me very sharp because I have to use my time very wisely around our club events and everything that we do for the members. It has helped me in the long run with how I manage my time.”
West Suffield’s Jason Thresher, Cromwell’s Zach Zaback and former Greenwich High star Danny Guise each finished with scores of 70.