🍀 Divisional Game -- Oak City Gliders @ Reidsville Luckies 🍀
Amaro = Clutch
REIDSVILLE, NC — In Reidsville’s third game against the Oak City Gliders, a team they had two comeback wins against, it took the ninth-inning heroics of Kristian Amaro to win the game on a walk-off, 2-RBI double.
Reidsville had some trouble getting the offense rolling early on, and, after two innings, it was a 3-0 lead for the Oak City Gliders. The Luckies weren’t panicking, however, as they were well aware that their past two wins against Raleigh have been comebacks. Cole McClain would start the bottom of the third inning with a solo home run, before Travis Hammond got on base. This allowed Andrews Opata to get an RBI, along with a homer, when he busted it over the center wall for the first time this year.
Blessings came in bunches for Reidsville. In the fifth inning, they scored another three runs, courtesy of aggressive baserunning. After six innings, Lucky City had a 6-4 lead.
The Luckies then extended their lead in the seventh, as Hammond and Opata each stepped on home plate for their third time of the night. The Gliders decided to turn things up a notch. Neo Drew knocked in Cooper Ferguson and Sean Donahue, before being brought in by Will Hovey. The Raleigh-based team had cut the deficit to one.
The Luckies didn’t put anything on the board in the bottom of the eighth, and, in the top of the ninth, Ferguson of Oak City would guarantee a bottom of the ninth with a two-RBI single. Reidsville was down, 8-9, heading into the final stretch.
Opata, who came into the at-bat two-for-three on the night with a home run, a single, and a walk, struck out. TJ Highsmith was walked, and Blake Freeman was brought in as a pinch runner, while Bowman IV advanced him with a single. Rine Rodrigues, pinch hitting, was then walked, loading the bases!
Kristian Amaro stepped up to the dish. With an extended hitter’s count, he sent it soaring over second base and deep into center field. No one could get to it, as the runners charged home, and the dugout rushed the field to celebrate the victory with Amaro!
Lucky of the Game: Cole McClain — The star third baseman had the hitting game of his life. He went three-for-four, with a single, a double, and the first home run of his Luckies tenure.
Moment of the Game: Down one, with one out, in the bottom of the ninth, Kristian Amaro pounds it deep into center field, as Neo Drew stumbles trying to run backwards catch it, scoring both Blake Freeman, Edwin Bowman IV, and the win — Amaro had ice in his veins. His hit was spectacular, and, even if it would’ve been caught, it went so far that Freeman and Bowman IV could’ve tagged up and raced home.
Listen to my post-game interview with Amaro above.
Fun Events — We pulled Travis Hammond’s dad, Willie Hammond, into the booth and interviewed him in the top of the fourth inning. We also got to speak with shortstop Sam Melton in the fifth.
Notes — Not only did Amaro put another win in the standings; he bumped the Luckies up to third place in the division, and the Luckies are now one spot away from being in playoff position.
On-Deck — Tomorrow, on Father’s Day, the Luckies face the Sanford Spinners, the leaders of the Central Division.