(Editor’s Note: This article originally appeared on April 13, 2018.)
Drake Eggleston fires a 90-MPH fastball past James Myler and Ward Melville holds on, 3-1, to end Longwood’s 7-game winning streak pic.twitter.com/ydecyfY71N
— Axcess Baseball LI (@axcessbaseball) April 13, 2018
This one had playoff intensity from the first pitch. It had an ejection before most fans even made their way to a seat and it had excitement right up until the last pitch, when flame-throwing closer Drake Eggleston (UPENN-commit) fired a 90-MPH heater past James Myler with two runners on to slam the door shut on a crucial 3-1 victory over the upstart Longwood Lions.
Everyone in attendance was on edge with the potential go-ahead run at the plate. Everyone except for Eggleston.
“I knew what I had to do and I just focused on that,” said Eggleston. “I was pretty amped up–I was ready to go,” he said.
The game started off with Matt Encizo jumping on Matt DiGennaro‘s second pitch of the game for a leadoff double to left center field. He move to third on a flyball to right field by Jose Matos and scored on an RBI single by Myler to give Longwood a quick 1-0 lead out of the gate. They had entered the game at 7-0 and were flying high hoping to continue the streak against their League I rivals.
DiGennaro appeared to struggle with his command as he hit the next two batters and Longwood had an opportunity to capitalize, but in typical Ward Melville fashion, they clamped down and escaped the bases loaded, 1 out jam unscathed.
Longwood’s starting pitcher, Danny Owens, allowed two base runners in the first inning but escaped the jam with a strikeout of Max Nielsen. He was not nearly as fortunate in the second inning, though, when a single by Matt Maurer and a walk to Jimmy Koester brought up leadoff hitter Brady Doran. The junior tied the game with a well-struck single to left field. Owens avoided further trouble with a strike out of his brother, Logan.
After a 1-2-3 third inning, DiGennaro ran into some trouble in the fourth inning and the Lions had a golden opportunity to get on the board when Jarred Vanderhoof led off with a hard single up the middle. Danny Owens ripped one over the center fielder’s head but it bounced over the fence for a ground-rule double. This wound up being a crucial moment as it clearly prevented the tying run from scoring. Still, Longwood had a golden opportunity with two runners in scoring position and 0 out. The next two batters were retired without incident and that brought up leadoff hitter Matt Encizo. He smoked one out to left and it turned left fielder Ethan Farino around. He located the ball, leaped and made an outstanding snow cone grab to rob an extra-base hit AND two runs from scoring.
“I honestly trusted Ethan out there,” said DiGennaro. “All the guys in the field we’re able to trust,” he added.
That was a huge moment, because the Patriots wound up extending their lead when Maurer was hit in the foot with a pitch with the bases loaded to make it 2-1 and Farino ripped an RBI single to make it 3-1.
DiGennaro was lights-out in the middle innings, he retired 17 of the final 20 batters.
Eggleston came on for the save and the Patriots improved to 6-2 on the season and now trail Longwood by only 1 game for first place in League 1.
