Going into Friday’s game against the reigning NWAC champion Linn-Benton Roadrunners, the Trojans knew it wasn’t going to be easy.
Playing as the away team, Everett opened the scoring early on a two-out first-inning single up the middle by sophomore third baseman Carson Burns.
Sophomore right hander Ethan Hubbell took the mound for Everett and right away allowed a leadoff single in the bottom of the first.
Just as quick as the runner reached base, he was erased on a perfectly executed back-pick by catcher Nate Davis and first baseman Jonah Shull.
The scoreboard remained unchanged until the bottom of the third, when with one out, Linn-Benton strung together three straight singles to tie the game. Hubbell responded with two strikeouts to stop the threat there.
In the bottom of the fifth, with the game still tied and the go-ahead run standing on second, the Linn-Benton batter lined a ball down the first base line, but Shull made a nifty play to his left to snag it and end the inning.
Leading off the top of the sixth, Shull hammered a double to right center field, but the offense couldn’t find a way to drive him in.
After a scoreless sixth from Hubbell, the offense again led off with a double, this time off the bat of second baseman Micah Coleman.
With two outs and Coleman on third, freshman center fielder Colin Beazizo finally got a ball to land on the outfield grass after stinging the ball for naught on Thursday.
“It felt great, off the barrel I knew it was down,” Beazizo said. “Got the go-ahead RBI in the inning, so that was beautiful.”
Working with a lead again, Hubbell went back out for the seventh and got two quick outs. Then, Linn-Benton strung three more hits together to tie the game.
With two outs, Head Coach Keith Hessler called on Nathan Harb, who halted the Roadrunner rally with a strikeout.
“I just didn’t have some of my stuff today,” Hubbell said. “I just tried to stay in the game as long as I could and gave it my all, but sometimes that’s just not how it works.”
Everett punched back in the eighth, capitalizing on a hit batter and a walk with a two-out run-scoring single, again off the bat of Burns.
Harb stayed in the game for the eighth and got a quick groundout to start the inning. After a one-out single, consecutive defensive miscues hurt the Trojans. A wild pitch moved the tying run to second, and a couple pitches later the run scored on a wild throw to first base.
Brandon Brunette then entered the game for the Trojans, and after a strikeout for the second out, Davis threw out his third base runner of the game as the runner slid past the base trying to steal third.
“(Davis) is such a dog behind the plate for us,” Hubbell said. “I couldn’t express that enough. I have the utmost respect for the guy, he’s done it all year for me.”
Baylor Hill drew a leadoff walk for Everett in the top of the ninth and was pinch run for by Brenden Haverlock, but Haverlock ended up stranded at second.
With the game still tied in the bottom of the ninth, the Roadrunners drew a leadoff walk of their own and took advantage. Two batters later, with the runner on third, a shallow fly ball to right field proved deep enough for the runner to tag and score, and for Linn-Benton to walk it off.
Or maybe not. The Trojans thought the runner left early and sent the play to replay review, sure that the play would be overturned, and that the run wouldn’t count.
“I thought he left early,” Hessler said. “I was hoping the replay would show it. I’m not sure what they saw, or didn’t see, but they had it standing, so that’s what we gotta roll with.”
Everett’s next game will be Saturday at 2:05 p.m. versus Spokane. Now that every contest is win-or-go-home, Hessler emphasized that the team can’t afford to dwell on Friday’s loss.
“I told the guys they just have to let it go,” Hessler said. “It sucks, these games are hard, but we have to find a way to let it go and be able to come back tomorrow.”
