By Skip Weaver
Contributing writer
A five-run fifth inning gave Badin the space it needed to remain undefeated in Greater Catholic League play as the Rams rolled to a 9-5 win Monday at Fenwick.
Badin junior Zach Gray had the defining hit – a bases loaded triple – in that fifth inning to put the Rams (6-4, 5-0 GCL Central) in control.
“I thought he had a chance to catch it,” Gray said of the effort by Fenwick left fielder Clay Jeffers. But the ball was just out of his reach as he attempted to make a shoestring catch. “I would have been pretty upset if he did, but instead I was pretty happy standing on third base.”
Gray had been struggling at the plate this season as he entered the game batting only .250, but Coach Brion Treadway moved Gray down one slot in the batting order from fourth to fifth to get him some different looks.
“The talent is there, but his timing has been just a hair off,” Treadway said. “He’s never been down on himself and his swing looks great, so I think this game has helped him get on track now.”
The Falcons (5-7, 2-2 GCL North) rallied late as Chad Goubeaux smashed a solo home run in the fifth inning and Logan Valentine hit his GCL-leading fourth home run in the sixth. Fenwick also loaded the bases in the bottom of the seventh bringing the tying run to the plate with two outs, but could not muster any more offense.
“We had the tying run at the plate, but just ran out of time,” Falcons coach Bob Sherlock said. His team also squandered several opportunities by stranding 10 runners on base.
Errors were also a factor as Fenwick committed six in the field on Monday.
“Only in the rarest instance would you win after committing six errors and stranding 10 runners,” Sherlock said. “There are times when we play well and look like we should, but we’re just not consistent enough.
“Pitching has kept us in games and hitting has been good, but our defense is very inconsistent,” he continued. “It has cost us more than anything else. Hopefully it gets better as we go forward.”
Both teams return to action on Wednesday with Badin at La Salle and Fenwick at McNicholas.
Click here to see more on Fenwick rally comes up short.
BOX SCORE
Badin 000 250 2 ‑ 9 11 1
Fenwick 001 012 1 ‑ 5 13 6
WP - Eric McGill (2-0)
LP - Derek Coffey (1-2)
S - T.J. Nichting (3)
HR – Fenwick: C. Goubeaux (2), L. Valentine (4)
