Summerville opened the 5A baseball playoffs with a pair of victories to move into the driver’s seat for the District 7 Championship series.
“This is exactly where we wanted to be,” Summerville coach Thane Maness said. “We are finding ways to win.”
The Green Wave claimed a 3-0 victory April 30 over visiting White Knoll. Junior Drew Hayes threw a two-hit shutout, striking out six batters in seven innings while only walking three. Junior Banks Knight led the Green Wave batters, going 2 for 3 with a RBI double. Cooper Hughie also had a double for Summerville.
Senior P.J. Morlando opened the bottom of the first inning by receiving a base on balls. Knight doubled to bring him home for a 1-0 Summerville lead.
First baseman Wiley Waring reached on an error in the bottom of the fifth, and Morlando was intentionally walked. After a double steal, senior Brock Mathis singled to bring them both in for the 3-0 margin. Morlando now has more than 35 walks on the season.
Summerville had to rally May 2 to earn a 5-2 victory over visiting Stratford. The Knights took advantage of some errors to take a 2-0 lead, but the Green Wave scored five unanswered runs.
Senior Thayer Tavormina pitched six innings to earn the win. Jace Stone closed the game, striking out two batters in the seventh and getting a third to ground out.
“We could have let this game get away from us early,” Maness said. “Thayer did a great job keeping it at 2-0. Then we had a good turn at bat, putting some guys on, laying down some great bunts and getting a huge single from Banks Knight.”
Carson Messina got things started for Summerville in the bottom of the fifth. He has been out with an injury for several weeks but came in as a pinch hitter, opening the bottom of the frame with a single to right field. Carter Gullotti received a base on balls before Cody Landis laid down a bunt single to load the bases. Later in the inning, Knight hit a two-run single to tie the score.
Hayes drove in another run with a sacrifice bunt for a 3-2 lead. Then Stratford turned a double play to end the inning.
In the bottom of the sixth, the Wave cushioned its lead. After Christian Scarano and Gullotti walked, Waring had an RBI hit. Landis then walked to load the bases, and Knight pushed another run across the plate with a sacrifice bunt.
Summerville improved to 19-9 with the win and hosts the District 7 Championship series May 6. The Wave will face the winner of the May 4 elimination game between White Knoll and Stratford and only needs a single win in the series to advance to the Lower State bracket of the playoffs.
