By Logan Riddick / Scrimmageplaycva.com contributor
Following an error-filled first three innings, third-seeded Monticello had opened a 10-6 lead in Monday night’s Conference 29 quarterfinal over six seed Broadway. As senior pitchers Sean Byrnes and Nate Fox were battling from the mound, the defense steadied down the stretch as the Mustangs maintained the margin to advance to the conference semis with an 11-7 victory.
“Sean is our go-to guy; he’s our ace for a reason,” said Monticello coach Corey Hunt. “He throws strikes and he puts guys in play, and he grinded through it for us. He didn’t have his best stuff and we didn’t have our best stuff defensively tonight, but we made it work. We found a way to get it done.”
The early-game miscues began with the leadoff batter who reached and advanced to third on errors. Along with a bunt single and RBI groundout, Broadway plated two in the top of the first. Monticello quickly responded in its first at-bat with a double, walk, and single to load the bases. Three batters later, Tre Dudley came through with a 2RBI single.
“I was scared for a moment when we had two strikeouts looking,” said Byrnes. “Tre came up with a big hit and then we piled on a few more. It was nice to have the lead and help my confidence going back out [in the second].”
After re-loading the bases, nine-hole hitter Tyler McDaniel brought in two more with a double, and Fox scored another with his second hit of the inning. Gobblers’ starter Jake DePoy’s night ended there, but Monticello added another unearned run to take an 8-2 lead before the inning ended with the twelfth Mustang batter.
“When those guys [in the bottom half of the order] like T-Mac and Sean Byrnes, come through in the clutch, it’s huge for us,” said Hunt. “We talk about that with all the guys; big hits with runners in scoring position. It doesn’t matter who’s up at that point; those at-bats mean a lot to us.”
The second inning went calmly by comparison as Byrnes escaped the top half with the bases loaded. In the third, however, a walk, infield error, and single loaded them again for Broadway with no outs. Kyle Evick’s one-out double to right scored one, but the relay from second wiped out the next runner at the plate. Nine-spot batter Brandon Gill singled in another run before Tristan Bailey delivered an RBI double. The Gobblers pulled back to 8-6 before Byrnes ended the rally with a strikeout.
“I just had to fight through it and focus on what I could do,” said Byrnes, who earned his fifth win of the season, striking out six and giving up just one earned run in 5.0 innings. “The errors were tough but I knew I’d have plays behind me later.”
Monticello took advantage of opportunities in the bottom of the third starting when the leadoff strikeout was dropped and a poor throw to first allowed the batter to reach. After a walk and a sac bunt, John Page knocked in a run and reached first on a fielding error. Jack Decker drilled a comebacker through the middle to plate Fox and put the Mustangs up 10-6 after three.
From there, Byrnes faced just eight batters over the next two innings, striking out three and allowing no hits. Monticello added a run in the bottom of the fifth on an RBI double by Decker. Broadway answered with a leadoff double in the top of the sixth after Fox come on to pitch. Two grounders allowed the runner to advance and score, but there was no sustained rally. In the seventh, the first two batters reached on a single and walk, but Monticello came up with a good defensive play on a sharp liner caught at second by doubling off the runner at first. Fox struck out the next batter looking to send the Mustangs on to the semis.
“Nate worked incredibly hard in the offseason and you can tell that it’s paying off now,” Hunt said. “It’s really good to have him at the top of the lineup so other guys can drive him in, and it’s great to get a veteran guy on the mound at the end of the game that can handle himself and can handle situations.”
Fox and Decker each went 3-for-4 at the plate for Monticello with a double. Fox stole twice and scored three runs, while Decker drove in two.
Monticello (14-6) faces second-seeded Turner Ashby on Wednesday night.
