PARIS — Going into the 2016 season, Garrett Moody felt his right arm might be needed. However, the Mt. Ararat sophomore admits he didn’t expect to be the guy asked to pitch the Eagles to a playoff win.
Moody did just that, though, holding a solid Oxford Hills squad to six hits in a 4-2 Class A North quarterfinal victory at the Gouin Complex on Thursday.
In the Eagles’ first playoff appearance since the 2009 season, Mt. Ararat improved to 8-9 and visits second-seeded Edward Little at 3 p.m. on Saturday at Auburn Suburban.
“I was able to throw strikes, limit walks and allow my fielders to make plays,” said Moody, who threw just 79 pitches with two strikeouts and two walks. “I didn’t let them get used to me. I know I have a good defense behind me. I have played with my teammates since the sixth grade. I know they will be there if I throw strikes.”
“This was all about Garrett Moody today, both on the mound and at the plate as he had a couple big hits,” Mt. Ararat coach Bob Neron said. “I was worried about pitching all winter long, but after Garrett’s second or third start I was not worried anymore. He is the guy. He is not overpowering, but throws strikes and gives his team a chance to win.”
“I thought he threw strikes and pitched pretty well,” Oxford Hills coach Shane Slicer added.
Leading 4-0 in the fourth inning, Moody hit his only rough patch. The third-seeded Vikings put up three straight hits and scored two runs. Matt Smith and Jake Beauchesne each singled, followed by a long double to right-center field by Tyler Curtis to get Oxford Hills on the board. A sacrifice fly by Emery Chickering cut the Mt. Ararat advantage to 4-2.
Moody held the Vikings to just three hits the rest of the way.
“From the fourth on we hit the ball hard,” Slicer said. “We squared up a few pitches, but it wasn’t meant to be. Things got hung up in the air. We just didn’t put the pressure to them. Their outfield tracked a bunch of balls.”
Eagles lead
After Oxford Hills starting pitcher Tyler Johnson pitched out of a two-on, two-out jam in the first inning, Mt. Ararat put up two runs in the second. Harper Moutal singled and Jacob O’Neill bunted, but reached on a throwing error. Moody blopped a single to center to load the bases with one out, and Johnson walked Nate Leslie (three walks, sacrifice fly) to plate the game’s first run. A fielder’s choice allowed O’Neill to score for a 2-0 Eagles lead.
Mt. Ararat added a pair in the fourth. Kyle Brennan and Moody singled with one out, and Leslie scored Brennan with a sacrifice fly. Cam Cox followed with an RBI double for a 4-0 advantage for the No. 6 seed.
Johnson fought through the rough beginning, going six innings on six hits, four strikeouts and three walks.
“We were ready to go to our bullpen, but (Johnson) hung in there,” Slicer said. “He settled in and I thought we had a good chance.”
Oxford Hills put the leadoff runner on base in the fifth and sixth frames, but Moody escaped, and a pair of singles by Janek Luksza and Bailey West gave the Vikings two runners on in the seventh. Matt Smith drove a Moody pitch deep to left field, but into the teeth of a game-long fierce wind to end it.
“What a difference a year makes,” Neron said, referring to last season’s 1-15 campaign. “I couldn’t be happier for these guys. They leave it all on the field. They have fun before the game, then game time they turn it back on and are all business. They are ready to play and it is a lot of fun to watch.”
“This is a big win for us and we are ready to beat Edward Little on Saturday,” Moody said. “We had confidence that we could win, we just had to come through and get it done.”
Slicer was proud of his team’s efforts this season.
“We had our ups and downs, but bottom line is we were 11-5 and they fought,” Slicer said. “We battled and fought right to the last out today.”
Beauchesne led Oxford Hills at the plate, going 2-for-3. Blake Slicer threw a scoreless inning of relief.
Neron said he will turn to pitcher Ryan Glass on Saturday.
“Ryan is the same type of pitcher, someone who throws strikes and lets his teammates make the plays behind him,” Neron said.
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