Little Giants hold on for win with game-ending play at the plate

OREGON – Catch it then tag.

As the ball flew in his direction, Josiah Cook reminded himself not to go for the tag until he had the ball in his glove.

But that’s easier said than done when the game-tying run is charging at you in the bottom of the seventh inning.

With two outs and runners on third and second, Oregon Clay looked on the verge of tying the game, as a line drive shot its way into shallow right field. There, however, Garrett Schneider fielded the ball and threw a strike to Cook, the catcher, behind the plate. With one run crossing the plate, Schneider’s throw was well in time and Cook, after snagging the throw, blocked the plate and applied the tag, ending the inning and the game in a thrilling 2-1 Little Giant victory.

“As soon as I saw Garrett with the ball, I knew he was going to throw him out. He’s got an arm,” Cook said. “When it came out of his hand, I’m just thinking, ‘Catch the ball.’”

Minor controversy followed the play at the plate. In his excitement following the tag, Cook tossed his glove into the air. Clay protested Cook lost control of the ball in the process of the tag, but the out, and win, stood as called.

“I tagged him and celebrated as soon as I tagged him, so I threw my glove,” Cook laughed. “I should have held on to it just a little longer.”

Cook and the Little Giants had reason to be excited. The Little Giants played one of their best performances of the season, with no errors in the field and a solid offensive showing, eight hits, but the game remained scoreless until the sixth inning.

That’s when Cook reached base after big hit by a pitch. Cole Druckenmiller followed with a base hit to right. Karson Wojdyla then came up with the game’s only RBI, driving home Charlie Corthell, running for Cook, for the game’s first run. Druckenmiller later scored on a wild pitch for a 2-0 lead.

With a lead, Ross’ starting pitcher Trey Ickes was able to concentrate on getting the complete-game victory. The senior ace had an outstanding game, allowing just two hits and five walks while striking out nine.

One of those strikeouts, however, came in the bottom of the seventh against Clay’s leadoff hitter, but the third strike eluded Cook and the batter reached first base safely. Clay followed with a base hit and suddenly Ickes found himself in a jam with two runners on and no out and the game on the line, but he remained calm and pitched on.

“You really got to throw strikes, you’ve got to trust yourself,” Ickes said. “That’s probably the biggest strength I’ve had since my sophomore year, my first year on varsity. I have confidence in every one of my pitches. You’ve got to have that and you have to trust your defense – it’s not just the pitcher out there.”

Ickes struck out the next batter for the first out, then snagged a line-drive sent back at him for the second out, setting the stage for the game’s thrilling, game-winning play at the plate.

“He threw an absolute great game,” Ross coach Jared King said of Ickes. “He mixed it up well, hit his spots the entire game. Today was the best defensively off the mound, that I’ve seen him. He had a couple shots back at him, especially in the seventh – that was huge to snag that and keep the runners where they were. I can’t say enough about his performance today.”

The win improves Ross to 4-9 overall. The Little Giants host Toledo Central Catholic on Monday.