PARIS — Edward Little’s 10-run feeding frenzy at the plate in the fourth inning of Friday’s Class A North baseball quarterfinal saved the Red Eddies’ season — and it helped starting pitcher Campbell Cassidy rebound after a rocky start.
Cassidy took his cue from the bench’s endless support — not to mention the offense’s run support — to help orchestrate seventh-seeded Edward Little’s 11-6 victory over second-ranked Oxford Hills in a Class A North baseball quarterfinal Friday afternoon.
It came exactly one year to the day after Edward Little, the eighth seed, knocked out top-seeded Oxford Hills in the regional quarterfinals.
The Red Eddies (10-8) now move on to face third-ranked Mt. Ararat (12-5) in the semifinals on Saturday at 1 p.m.
“I think we scored all the runs with two outs (in the fourth inning),” Edward Little coach Dave Jordan said. “They did some great at-bats … and put some pressure and we were able to get some runs.
“When you plan to play up here and play Oxford Hills, you know you are going to be in for battle. We were very fortunate to get some runs and hold them because that’s a team that knows how to win. … It is one of those things that you have to keep grinding because you know they have a chance to come back. So I am very proud of the way the guys played.”
The Vikings (14-3), who were no pushovers, were in command when they picked up two runs, one on an RBI single by Andrew Merrill and the other on Kolby Brown’s infield sacrifice, in the first inning.
But Cassidy heated up on the mound right after the first inning, setting the side down in order with three strikeouts in the second. The Red Eddies’ defense and Cassidy joined forces to retire the side in order again in the third.
“Adrenaline played a huge role in me just wanting to get back out there…” Cassidy, who struck out nine batters, said. “The crowd helped, too. I think we bounced off each other. If I got a nice strikeout, they clapped me on and they would encourage me when I was down in the count.”
Edward Little’s fourth-inning eruption began with three walks followed by Aiden Gonzalez’s two-run single and one-run hits from Cassidy and Kamden Masselli. The Eddies took advantage of three more walks and used solid baserunning, like TJ Kramarz coming on home after a passed ball. Kramarz ripped a two-run single in the fourth, too, to make it a 10-2 game.
In the sixth inning, Jordan decided to take Cassidy out with one out. He was replaced by sophomore Kaden Masselli, who an inning later got the job done in the seventh with help from a double play by the Eddies defense.
“You get a little nervous, but you have to have confidence in yourself to go and get the job done,” Kaden Masselli said. “I had to do everything I could. I knew my defense had my back. So you just go out and do your job.”
Oxford Hills collected two runs each in the fifth and sixth innings. Nick Binette had a team-high two hits and scored twice. Brown finished with three RBIs.
“One tough inning,” Oxford Hills coach Shane Slicer said. “We didn’t execute a few things and gave them 10 runs. They earned it. I think the overall thing is Cassidy pitched well. I have to give him credit; I am not making excuses. We didn’t play our best game.”
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