Not once, but twice did the Milroy Irish snatch victory from the grip of defeat in a 5-4 win over Hadley last Wednesday.
The Irish scored a run in the bottom of the ninth inning to send the game into extra innings, then countered a Hadley run in the top of the 11th with two of their own to scratch out the win.
“It’s easy in those moments to roll over and lose the game when down by one heading into the bottom of the ninth, but our guys showed spectacular resolve, especially Tyler Patterson, Carson Javers and Dominic Dolan,” said Milroy manager Anthony Dolan.
With their backs against the wall, Patterson started the bottom of the ninth inning with a single to left field. After a strikeout, newcomer Carson Javers put together a solid at-bat and singled to right. After a second strikeout and down to their last out, Irish veteran Dominic Dolan battled in a good at-bat and found the hole between first and second; the Hadley second baseman dove and knocked down the ball but couldn’t get it to home plate in time as Patterson came around from second with the tying run.
Then, in the top of the 11th, Hadley used a couple infield singles and an Irish error to take back the lead at 4-3. In the bottom of the 11th, Patterson struck again when he reached on a single. Trevor Smith then got hit by a pitch, putting the tying and go-ahead runs. Next, Javers laid down a sacrifice bunt to the first baseman, but the ball was misplayed and he reached to load the bases with no out.
Moses Dolan fell behind in the count early in his at-bat, but battled back and drew a walk to once again tie the game. That would bring up Dominic Dolan for his final act of late-inning heroics. Dolan hit a hard ground ball up the middle into center field bringing in the game-winning run.
“Ultimately, I was extremely pleased with the fight we showed with our backs against the wall those two separate occasions,” Anthony Dolan said. “Hadley committed a couple errors in those moments leaving the door open for our hitters and we capitalized on those opportunities.”
Tyler Maeyaert struck out 11 in five innings of work. Tyler Peterson threw three innings, and Derek Smith picked up the win, going the final two innings. Irish pitchers struck out a total of 17 Hadley hitters and walked just three.
Dominic Dolan and Patterson both had two hits for Milroy and Patterson had two RBI. The Irish are at home again at 7:30 p.m. on June 13 against Lamberton.
Hadley 000 020 100 01 — 4 9 3 Irish 200 000 001 02 — 5 9 3
Maeyaert, Peterson (6), Smith (W, 10) and Smith and Javers.
2B: Wallen. HBP: Smith. SAC: M. Dolan A. Dolan, Javers).
Smith has big day as Irish win Sunday showdown
Derek Smith had four hits, including two doubles and a triple, and three RBI and the Irish scored three eighth-inning runs in an 8-6 win over Luverne on Sunday in Luverne.
Luverne carried a 4-1 lead going into the fourth, but Milroy countered with two runs in both the fifth and sixth inning.
Tyler Peterson and Levi Maeyaert both had three hits, and Tyler Maeyaert scored three runs. The Redbirds had a 6-5 lead after six innings, but Milroy fought back again, taking an 8-6 lead in the top of the eighth on singles by Tyler Peterson, Levi Maeyaert and Tyler Maeyaert.
Connor Lanoue started and pitched five innings, and Jacob Dykes earned his first win in relief. for the Irish (4-2).
Irish 100 022 030 — 8 16 0 Luverne 004 101 000 — 6 13 3 Lanoue, Dykes (5), Peterson and Seth. 2B: Smith (2). 3B: Smith. HBP: Patterson, Peterson, A. Dolan, Maeyaert.
