When the Redlegs and Royals line up and do battle in the
MVABL, you can bet that things are almost always going to
get interesting. This Tuesday night affair at Howell Field
was no exception, as the 7 inning weeknight game turned into
a 9 inning extra inning marathon that ended in dramatic walk
off fashion.
The Redlegs sent Andy Evans, their newest weapon, to the
mound to try and figure out the always challenging Royals
lineup. The Royals drew first blood by scoring 1 in the
first and then exploded for 7 runs in the top of the 2nd.
Evans settled down shortly thereafter and allowed only 3
more hits over his remaining 3 innings of work, but the
Royals still managed to put pressure on the Redleg defense
and they scored a total of 12 over the first 5 innings,
although only 7 were earned.
The offense for the Redlegs began mounting a comeback in the
2nd. James Robinson and Jared Bradley started things off
with walks and the runners advanced on a passed ball. Kyle
Breeden then hit a groundball to the right side to score the
innings first run. After a flyout, the top of the Redleg
lineup came back around to score 4 runs with 2 outs. Matt
Morrison and Jackson Millard each singled before Jacob
Robinson drew a walk. Brandon Howard then drew a bases
loaded walk before Matt Mattice knocked a couple of runs
home with a single.
The Royal lead kept shrinking in the 4th when the Redlegs
scored two more runs to make it a 9-7 game. Jacob Robinson
was plunked by a pitch leading off the inning and later
moved around to score after Brandon Howard singled and
thanks to a wild pitch. James Robinson then drove Howard in
with a sacrifice fly.
Both clubs then scored 3 times in the 5th inning to keep the
deficit at 2 runs at 12-10. With one out Matt Morrison
walked and stole 2nd before Jackson Millard was hit by a
pitch and Jacob Robinson then singled to load up the bases.
Brandon Howard then delivered a 2 run single just after
another runner scored thanks to a passed ball.
Matt Redman then entered the game in relief of Evans and
proceeded to keep the Royals in check over the 6th, 7th, and
8th frames. Redman allowed only 3 hits and a run to keep
the Redlegs alive in extras. Meanwhile, the offense was
finally able to tie the game in the bottom of the 6th. Kyle
Breeden roped a 1 out double into right center field and
later scored on a throwing error. Matt Morrison then
singled, stole 2nd, moved to 3rd on the throwing error and
then scored on a wild pitch.
The Royals re-claimed the lead in the top of the 8th by
scoring 1 run which put the pressure on the home team in the
bottom half in extra innings. But the Redlegs weren’t
finished yet. Jackson Millard worked a walk to start the
inning after a strikeout and a ground out Matt Mattice drove
in the tying run with a clutch two out single.
This took the game deeper into the night and brought on
Kevin Campbell for the Redlegs who had just pitched a
complete game shutout against the Braves two nights before.
Campbell held the Royals scoreless while not allowing a hit
in the frame, which was all it took to get his 2nd victory
in 3 days.
Kyle Breeden and Matt Redman made quick work of the bottom
of the 9th. Breeden, in only his 2nd start for the Redlegs
after being added just a week before, drove a leadoff triple
into the right field gap to start off the inning. Matt
Redman then stepped in ready to do some damage with the bat
instead of his arm, and he delivered the game winning run
with a hot groundball that was too much to handle for the
drawn in infield sending the Redlegs home happy with the 14-
13 walk off victory.
Boxscore
| M Morrison | 4 | 2 | 3 | 0 | 2 |
| J Millard | 3 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 1 |
| J Robinson | 3 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 2 |
| B Howard | 4 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 1 |
| M Mattice | 6 | 3 | 0 | 3 | 0 |
| J Robinson | 2 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 3 |
| J Bradley | 5 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| K Breeden | 5 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 0 |
| M Redman | 5 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
2B: Breeden
3B: Breeden
| A Evans | 5 | 10 | 12 | 7 | 3 | 3 |
| M Redman | 3 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 2 |
| K Campbell (W) | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |