By REID TUCKER
If Paxton’s home ballpark, now known as “Jeff Bradley Field” in tribute to the storied former coach, was a freshly-launched ship, the Bobcats 6-3 victory over Baker was the champagne bottle ceremonially smashed into its hull.
Smashed was indeed the apt descriptor for the March 20 proceedings until the latter stages of the game, as Paxton (10-1) quickly turned a 1-0 deficit after the first at-bat visiting Gators’ (4-10) into a 6-1 lead. That advantage lasted until a few hiccups down the stretch resulted in two more Baker runs.
The weather didn’t help matters either, as rain delays and a longer-than-usual JV contest, plus the pre-game ceremony christening the field in honor of Bradley’s many achievements – eight district championships and 13 regional appearances among them – all contributed to a marathon of a ballgame. Nevertheless, solid performances from the committee of Paxton pitchers and the men on defense limited the Gators’ efficacy at staging a comeback, even as it neared the three-hour mark, and Paxton’s batters secured eight hits in the contest to Baker’s four.
Paxton got off to a slow start as it has in its last few games, with a couple of errors and a single from Baker’s Dakota Blackburn scoring team mate Austin Davis. That lead didn’t last long. Starting Bobcat pitcher Keyeen Edge (two hits, three walks and five strikeouts pitching/ 2-for-3 batting) made a diving catch to retire the side, and soon thereafter Austin Franklin cracked off a double to score Grant Stewart for a 1-all tie. Not content to coast, sophomore slugger Zack Varnum (2-for-3) clobbered his first-ever homer over the left field fence, bringing himself and Kaleb Newborn around the bags for a 3-1 lead.
That score held constant for a time, but Baker’s first pitcher, Bubba Ellis had a bad third inning, giving up four of his seven hits in the top of the frame, leaving Varnum to knock in two more runs on a single between third and short. Paxton tacked on another run in the bottom of the sixth inning when Grant Stewart creamed a single over the head of Baker second baseman Austin Hicks, scoring Austin Burlison. The rain delay earlier slowed the pace of the game, and Edge slipped up a bit in the top of the fifth, walking in a run before he was replaced on the mound by Newborn, who K’d up the last batter to get Paxton out of a bases-loaded jam.
Even though Edge doubled in Paxton’s next at-bat, his team mates didn’t fare as well, and the ‘Cats got nowhere in the bottom of the fifth inning. Stewart struck out four batters to retire the side, as Connor Bartlett reached first on an E2 after the first strikeout, so Baker got nowhere either. Paxton’s last at-bat was a three-up-three-down affair, leaving the Gators to eke out one final run out of Franklin’s close-out two-hit showing on the mound.
However, Franklin struck out his last man, Gabe Nelson, putting him away looking to give Paxton the three-run win.
