Mountain Ridge edged out Herriman by a single run for the second consecutive day, this time thanks to a walk-off single by Stockton Fowlks.
The Mustangs wasted no time setting the tone, piecing together three straight hits to build an early 3-0 advantage. From there, Cache Carter and the Herriman defense took control. The unit was sharp through the first four innings, stifling the Sentinels with two double-plays and keeping Mountain Ridge from gaining any offensive momentum.
For the Sentinels, pitcher Tyler James settled in after a rocky start, tossing five shutout innings to keep Mountain Ridge within reach. His steady presence on the mound gave the team a chance to regroup and refocus at the plate. With two outs in the bottom of the fifth, Mountain Ridge took advantage of a defensive error and strung together two singles to push across a run and ignite the rally.
“I go out there, throw as many strikes as I can and trust my defense to make plays. I do the best I can and my defense does my work for me. It’s a good feeling to help pick up a well-earned team win,” commented James following his strong rebound performance in the comeback victory.
Still trailing by two heading into the bottom of the sixth, Cooper Goff stepped to the plate hoping to spark the Sentinels’ offense. He didn’t waste any time—jumping on the first pitch, a fastball over the heart of the plate, and launching it deep over the left-center field fence to trim the deficit to one. But Carter kept his composure, needing just 10 pitches to retire the next three batters and send the game to the seventh with Herriman still in front.
Goff said, “I knew late in the game we had to get something going. I was looking for the fastball, and when he threw it, I did what I could with it,” reflecting on his home run that sparked the rally.
After a sixth straight scoreless inning for the Mustangs, Mountain Ridge came to the plate needing at least one run to extend the game. The leadoff batter was hit by a pitch, stole second, and advanced to third on a sacrifice fly. With a runner just 90 feet from home and only one out, Ryker Morton stepped in with an excellent opportunity to tie the game. He delivered a hard-hit single to bring in the tying run, before also safely stealing second base to get into scoring position.
“I was just trying to get the run in. They played far in, so I knew I had to hit it hard in the infield or deep in the air, and I was able to get a hard hit on it,” said Morton reflecting on his approach to the at-bat.
Fowlks — who recorded three walk-off hits last year — stood calmly, biding his time as Herriman made a pitching change. Once he stepped into the box, he worked the count, waiting for the pitch he was looking for. When it came, he delivered a line drive right over second base. By the time the ball hit the ground, Morton was already rounding third, and the game was on the verge of ending.
“I was frustrated after my fifth inning strikeout,” Fowlks said. “One of my coaches came up to me, told me to keep my head up and that I was going to walk the game off in the seventh. I believed him. I knew I had a lot of confidence in the dugout, and when I saw I was going to have the opportunity, I put that confidence into myself and played it as another at-bat. After the first pitch fastball, I knew I’d have a chance on the second pitch and was able to get something on my bat and score a run.”
The victory brought Mountain Ridge’s record to 9-3 on the year, with more than half of their games ending with a one-run margin.
“Herriman is always a big game for us. When we are halfway through the game and it is 3-0, without a lot of offense, my mind starts going to what we need to change, what we need to do. But you have to tip your cap to Carter; he kept us off balance most of the day. Our hitters finally adjusted a little bit towards the end of the game, and we found a way to win,” commented coach Brock Whitney, emphasizing the importance of picking up tight victories. “Over the last few years, we have dropped close games that have bit us in the butt a bit, but now five of our wins have been by one run. We are playing a lot of close games. Usually, it is our approach that is the deciding factor in those games. It is a big deal; every win we get in Region 2 is a big deal.”
Herriman and Mountain Ridge will wrap up their series on Friday afternoon, with the Mustangs hosting the matchup.