In a battle of state-ranked teams, #10 Galena took advantage of a big inning and big contributions from both ends of the lineup to surge past #2 Hurley 8-2 Saturday morning.
Tied 2-2 heading into the top of the fifth inning, the Bears turned five hits and a walk into a comfortable six-run lead that held up for the win.
While Jake Baker (2-4, 1 RBI) certainly made an impact at the plate from the top of the lineup, Galena also received an offensive punch from the bottom.
Sophomore Coby Sartin turned in a huge day at the plate, going 3-3 with 3 RBI in the win. The right-fielder also drew a walk in the game.
"They mainly threw me fastballs," Sartin said. "It really helped me out having my team behind me. They backed me up and let me know what I was doing wrong, and it helped me find my adjustments and start hitting better."
Bears head coach Byron Richardson was pleased to see his team finally able to capitalize on the many opportunities in the contest.
"Earlier in the game, we had opportunities with base runners," Richardson said. "We just didn't get the big hit. Finally we had a couple guys step up for us, and it really got us rolling in that inning."
Galena's bats certainly made some noise during the game; however, Baker's performance on the mound showed why the Bears could be a tough out later in the year.
After cruising through the first three innings, the senior ace found himself in all kinds of trouble in the fourth. After getting two quick outs to open the inning, Hurley's lineup went to work. Singles from Justice Jones, Dillon Gold and Chase Simpson helped the Tigers tie up the game and left Baker visibly rattled on the mound.
Richardson was quick to point out cause and cure for Baker's ailments.
"We had a short talk after that inning about not trying to guide our pitches," Richardson said. "We just needed to get back to trusting our stuff. He really was effective after that."
Following Galena's big inning at the plate, the southpaw returned to the mound with a comfy, six-run lead. His composure regained, Baker went out and mowed through eight of Hurley's final nine batters. Baker's complete game finish included 11 strikeouts, 6 hits and 2 walks.
"I started off pretty good, but then I lost my concentration," Baker said. "I just, kind of, worked through it, I guess. I got back my focus after the big sixth inning where we scored a bunch. Once we did that, it was easy from there."
For Hurley and coach Page Jones, the game's outcome came down to mental focus in the field and discipline at the plate.
"We got into a deal where we were pull-happy," Jones said. "[Baker] has nice movement on his pitch right where it's hitting the bat. If you don't have a middle- to right-side approach and take him the other way, you're going to struggle. We knew he was going to come right at us, and we wanted to hit that first pitch. We took it a lot for strike one, and he's got a next-level type breaking ball that he knows where to put it. He kind of put us on the defense."
Tigers pitchers Isaac Carlson (4.67 innings) and Justice Jones (2.33 innings) combined for 12 strikeouts and 4 walks on the day.
Hurley (2-2) opens the Halfway tournament on Monday against Fair Play, while Galena (8-1) hosts Crane on Tuesday.
Galena 0 2 0 0 6 0 0 — 8
Hurley 0 0 0 2 0 0 0 — 2
