Hawks soar past Salisbury
Sabater’s 4 hits set the tone, Nor-Gwyn rolls in Region 2 elimination game
“I went to Wawa and got this thing called a super coffee. I was caffinated the whole game and went 4-for-4. So it must work.” – Jeff Sabater, Nor-Gwyn Legion.
SPRING >> Nor-Gwyn’s best-kept secret wasn’t kept for long.
Jeff Sabater’s speed was immediately displayed on Saturday morning, the leadoff stretching a single to left into a pivotal double, and the Hawks were off and running.
“We all try to keep it a secret about his speed,” Nor-Gwyn coach Brandon Billetz said. “But once he’s out there, and he basically hits one right to the left fielder and is still able to take second, you can see it. I have no trouble running him wherever, and he’s a good ball player and smart.
“He knows when to be aggressive and when to lay off a little bit.”
Sabater went 4-for-4 and reached base five times to help lead Nor-Gwyn to an impressive 10-0 win in six innings over Salisbury in Region 2 play Saturday at Owls Field.
The victory sends Nor-Gwyn to a 4 p.m. elimination game Sunday.
“We came back from (Friday’s loss) and hit the ball today,” Sa
bater said. “The last tournament we had, we also lost the first game and then won out (to capture the BuxMont), so hopefully we can repeat that.”
Sabater kept repeating himself at the plate, his four straight hits producing two runs and a pair of RBIs.
Sabater and the Hawks were wide awake for Saturday’s 10 a.m. start.
“I went to Wawa and got this thing called a super coffee. I was caffeinated the whole game and went 4-for4. So it must work,” kidded Sabater.
Nor-Gwyn dented the scoreboard in the first.
Sabater got it started with his leadoff double to left against right-hander Andrew Grejda.
With two outs, Steve Corrado came through with a flare to right, scoring Sabater for a 1-0 lead.
The Hawks doubled their lead in the second.
Ryan Sullivan’s single down the third-base line was followed by a double to left center by Johnny Milligan.
Sabater’s bloop to center allowed Sullivan to race home, making it 2-0.
The Hawks broke it open in the third.
Joey Christian was hit by a pitch and R.J. Agriss slapped a bloop single.
Ryan Sullivan’s sacrifice bunt moved the runners over, and Christian scored on a wild pitch.
Johnny Milligan’s ground ball to the right side enabled Agriss (3-for-4, 2 runs) to come home to make it 4-0.
Tommy Simpson singled and Sabater singled again. Sam Cohen’s flare to center drove another run in, and the lead was 5-0 Hawks.
“(After Friday), I said ‘let’s just stay in there, play the entire field,’” Billetz said. “Fourteen hits later, they were doing well. They definitely hit the ball well today so I’m really proud they were able to make the adjustments.”
The hitting continued for Nor-Gwyn in the fourth.
Agriss and Sabater each had singles, Ryan Sullivan and Johnny Milligan each drew walks, and the lead ballooned to 8-0.
The Hawks put the finishing touches on things in the sixth, as Milligan (2-for3, walk, 2 runs, RBI) hit and later scored on a wild pitch and Sabater drew a walk and also scored on a wild pitch to provide a 10-0 lead.
Reliever Chris LaRosa, who came on in the fourth, retired the Falcons in the bottom half to end it.
Starter Eric Hamilton was in control for the Hawks.
Hamilton threw three and two thirds innings of shutout ball, allowing just two hits while striking out three and walking none.
“Eric did an amazing job. We knew what the pitch counts were here you have to have somebody go out there and attack the zone,” Billetz said. “Eric’s been around the plate this entire year and that’s somebody that if we happen to win Sunday, we have him for Monday.”