Saturday, May 18, 2013
A few quick tidbits from Monday’s Legion tournament game between Waterville and Post 51 at Colby College:
• Post 51 second baseman Sam Dexter nearly made one of the most extraordinary plays I’ve ever seen from a high school player.
Waterville led 4-2 in the top of the seventh when Kyle Bishop led off with a walk. The next batter was Kris Smith, who tried to lay down a sacrifice bunt. He bunted back to the mound, and pitcher Nick Booth tried for the out at second. Booth’s throw to shortstop Dylan Foster on the bag was wide on the first base side. Dexter leaped and made a touch pass, flipping the ball back toward second base. It didn’t get the out, but how many players would think that quickly to even try that play?
• Smith, Waterville’s right fielder, definitely had luck on his side during Monday’s game. He didn’t hit the ball out of the infield, but still reached base four times on a walk, a bunt single and two errors. In the fourth inning, he reached first on an error and was picked off by pitcher Nate Veilleux. Smith got back to first when the first baseman dropped the throw in the rundown.
• I didn’t ask the Waterville coaches about this, but I noticed they held Booth on first with a four-run lead after Booth led off the Post 51 ninth with a single. It’s an interesting question: Is it better to close the hole between first and second, or keep the double play in order by not giving the runner second base?
• The neutral site games for the tournament Wednesday and Thursday will be played in Augusta. Wednesday’s games are at 1 and 4 p.m., with the winner of the first game playing back-to-back games. The winner of the 4 p.m. game qualifies for the state tournament. Of course, as I write this on Monday night, the weather outlook for Wednesday is not good.
Gary Hawkins has worked at the Kennebec Journal since 1980. His primary beats are baseball, boys basketball, girls and boys soccer and golf.
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