LINWOOD — The annual season series between cross-bay rivals Mainland Mustangs and Ocean City Red Raiders came down to the wire again as both games were decided by a single run.
Game one of the two-game series took place April 9 at Mainland Regional High School. The home team Mustangs rallied from a 2-0 deficit to win 3-2. Raiders Ryan Baldwin and Evan Taylor each got on base in all four of their at-bats to help build the early lead.
Mainland’s offense started slowly as it fought through one of Ocean City’s best pitchers in Travis Large. Eventually the Mustangs broke through Large and loaded the bases. Colton Donahue brought home a runner after drawing a walk and Chase Camac tied the game right after with a sacrifice grounder.
After tying the game 2-2, the Mustangs made one final push for the lead and loaded the bases again with only a single out in the following inning. Junior John Franchini took advantage of the Mustangs’ best opportunity of the game.
Franchini brought home Luca Bruno from third with a short infield hit that was just far enough for Bruno to beat the throw at home plate. Bruno also had an excellent game at the plate with a game-high three hits to go along with the go-ahead run.
Asked after the game how the Mustangs pulled out the win, Mainland head coach Joe Smith said, “We just had some good quality at-bats late in the game. We worked the pitcher and were not swinging at too much junk. Got a couple of bunts down and the kids just kept on fighting.”
Mustang pitcher Jake Lodgek started the game and gave his team four solid innings, allowing three hits before Will Hickman got Mainland through an inning with only one hit.
With some left-handed hitters coming up for Ocean City, Smith called upon left-handed pitcher Finnegan Haines to close out the game for Mainland.
“Hickman is a gamer who is not scared to compete, and I told him afterwards I had no plan to take him out,” Smith said. “But when Thompson came up for his fourth time our pitching coach suggested let’s go lefty-on-lefty here and in the end it all worked out.”
Haines inherited a runner on second and faced the top of the Raiders’ lineup, including leadoff lefty hitter Colin Thompson. Haines struck Thompson out and later got an easy fly out to end the sixth inning.
“I knew my job was lefty-on-lefty and they felt confident about me getting that last out of the inning,” Haines said. “We just rallied at the end and executed when we needed big plays to close it out in the seventh.”
Baldwin recorded his third hit of the game with the Raiders down to their final three outs, but it was not enough as Haines chewed through the rest of the lineup to seal the win.
One day later in Ocean City, the Raiders defended their home field and held on to defeat the Mustangs 3-2 April 10. It was the third straight game between the two teams to end with a final score of 3-2, including Mainland’s win over Ocean City in last year’s Cape-Atlantic League Tournament.
Ocean City built another early lead behind a consistent offense that scored a run in three consecutive innings. Thompson, Kameron Street and Josh Pashley all recorded an RBI for the Raiders.
Once again, Mainland’s offense woke up in the later stages of the game and scored two runs to cut the lead to 3-2. After the Mustangs got a couple of runners on board, Josh Lenko was called upon to be the Raiders’ closer.
Lenko went two full innings and allowed only one base runner. He struck out three batters and did not walk a single man. Evan Taylor started the game for the Raiders and gave up two hits in five innings, his longest outing so far this season.
Ocean City ended Mainland’s four-game win streak and improved to 3-4 on the season. The Raiders’ will hit the road for their next game against St. Augustine Prep to finish the season series against the Hermits. Game time is set for 4 p.m. April 17. Ocean City’s next home game will be at 2 p.m. April 19 versus Washington Township.
With the win streak behind them, the 4-3 Mustangs will travel to Delbarton School for an out-of-conference test April 16. One day later they will play their fourth of five straight road games and take on Cedar Creek High School.
– STORY by WILLIAM TRUITT/For the Sentinel
– PHOTOS by DAVID NAHAN/Sentinel staff
