Game 2 took place Friday night at Stratford High School where the Stratford Spartans took on the Lamar Redskins. After a 7-0 game 1 Spartan win at Delmar Stadium on Wednesday, Stratford entered this game with home field advantage and a chance to close the series but Lamar would not give up that easily. Lamar held the lead after the first inning and guaranteed a game three with a 4-2 win.

In the first inning, Stratford jumped out with an early lead. Jake Miller got a single and hit his runner on third base in after a double play at second and first base. The Spartans held the score at 1-0 through the second inning until in the third inning. A Redskin homerun changed the momentum of the game.

Lamar started the top of the third looking to take this series to three games and clinch the win. With a Redskin on first base, the short stop, Anthony Rendon was next to bat. The sweet spot on Rendon’s bat connected with the ball and sent it soaring over the right center field fence. This two-run homerun gave Lamar the lead after holding Stratford in the bottom, closing the inning with a score of 2-1.

In the fourth inning Lamar sacrificed themselves to work their man around the bases. Steve Erzinger bunted and Anthony Chacon finished the job by hitting in Eric Eiland to give the Redskins their third run. In the bottom of the fourth Stratford still struggled keeping their players on base and ended the fourth down by two runs.

With two strike outs on the board in the top of the fifth inning it looked to be Stratford’s turn to bat but Lamar’s Daniel Gonzales was able to hit a double to center field and with a loose ball at home made it to third base. Then a high infield pop fly by John Hale dropped giving Gonzales the opening to run home. Stratford’s Travis Smith hit a double to left field but was held at second base allowing Lamar to hold a 4-1 lead.

Neither team could add a run in the sixth. Moving into the seventh inning, there was room for either team to take the win.

Lamar was unable to extend their lead in the seventh and had their work cut out for them to stop the Spartans in the bottom of the inning. Stratford’s Matt Evers hit the ball to centerfield landing on second base and with another hit to centerfield by Carson Brown allowed Evers to give Stratford two runs. Lamar switched pitchers but after the first Spartan was walked and Will Gould hit a grounder the bases were loaded. Lamar once again switched pitchers giving Gonzales a chance to close the game.

Gonzales had the bases loaded with no outs on the board. The Spartans hit two infield pop flies that were caught by Gonzales. The Redskins earned their third out at first base and were able to hold the Spartans on all three bases and win the game with a final score of 4-2.

The Spartans ended with seven hits and two runs with their pitcher, Evers, finishing with 10 strikeouts. The Redskins had five hits with four runs and their starting pitcher, Scott Erzinger had three strikeouts.

Third and final game:
Sat. 5/5  1:00p.m. Jersey Village

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