Sometimes all it takes is one inning to turn around a baseball game.
Down 2-1 against Neuse Charter in the bottom of the third inning, Rosewood scored 12 runs in the inning to take a 13-2 lead.
The Eagles went on to defeat the Cougars 16-3 in five innings on Thursday evening.
“I saw perseverance, to be honest, we were down early and not playing very well defensively, and we persevered through it,” Rosewood head coach Jason King said.
Rosewood scored its first run of the game in the bottom of the first when Benjamin Peacock’s sacrifice fly enabled Conner Casey to cross home plate.
However, Neuse Charter scored two runs in the top of the third take a 2-1 lead.
Now trailing, the Eagles erupted for 12 runs in the bottom of the third, which included RBI doubles from Gabe Vernon, Logan Merritt, and Casey and a two-RBI double from Anderson Clucas.
The Eagles went through their entire lineup twice, and King said that sometimes hits can be contagious.
“I thought we did a good job with our plate approaches. We were aggressive on balls in the zone, and one thing we preach is to be aggressive at the plate and not sit back,” King said.
Will Harris got the start on the mound, but with such a big lead, Casey came in to pitch in the top of the fourth, and the Cougars were unable to claw their way back into the game.
In the bottom of the fourth, Merritt hit an RBI single, Vernon had an RBI ground, and T.J. Ruffino drew a walk with the bases loaded to increase Rosewood’s lead to 16-2.
The Cougars managed to score one run in the top of the fifth, but Casey turned out the lights on Neuse Charter to formally close the proceedings.
“I was really pleased,” King said about his pitchers. “Overall, our strike to ball ratio was where we wanted it, and we came back after giving up a hit and challenged the guy, which is what we want to do.”
Vernon finished the game with three RBIs, while Peacock, Clucas, and Cam Medlin all had two RBIs apiece. Davis Albert, Merritt, Casey, Harris, and Bryce Wirhouski each had one RBI apiece.
Harris pitched three innings, gave up one hit, zero earned runs, and struck out six batters, while Casey pitched the game’s final two innings.
Rosewood, now 4-1 overall on the season, travels to Princeton (4-2) on Tuesday. First pitch is set for 6 p.m.
“I think we’re getting better as a team, and we’re learning a lot about ourselves,” King said.
