Great defensive plays, solid pitching and opportunistic base running powered Rome to a big 4-2 Region 5-6A victory over Alexander last Wednesday night at Legion Field, sending the Rome seniors off on a great note for the last home game while also keeping the Wolves’ playoff chances alive.
After a moving ceremony honored the Rome High seniors and their families to start the game, the Wolves wasted little time getting on the scoreboard.
Rome’s offense got going early in the contest when senior catcher Jonathan Vigoa ripping a single to left field on the Cougars’ first pitch. He advanced to second base on a throwing error on the Cougar’s pitcher attempting to pick him off first. First baseman Carson Atkins then blasted a 1-2 pitch over the left fielder’s head for a double, scoring Vigoa.
Atkins came home to score on a single to left field by Wade, staking the Wolves to an early 2-0 lead after the first inning.
A bit of drama and some solid base running highlighted the bottom of the second inning. After falling behind 0-2, Joe Wilkinson worked the pitch count, drawing a walk. After advancing to second base he took off to try to steal third base. The Cougars appeared to have Wilkinson dead to rights before the bag, but he deftly avoided the tag, ran a bit past the base and dove back under the tag to sneak in safely.
Wilkinson then came home to score on a fly ball to center field from Vigoa, upping the Rome lead to 3-0.
Both innings saw Rome work the base paths effectively leading to some runs.
“That’s out strength offensively is that we can run the bases. I think we missed two signs late, and I felt like we could have stolen a couple of more bases,” Rome High coach Brent Tucker said. “We can run the bases pretty well. We worked on it yesterday. The first thing we did at practice was base running and the guys did a really good job of that tonight.”
While Rome’s bats and base running was hot early, sophomore starting pitcher Wade was too as the righty retired the first nine batters he faced in order. When the Cougars did manage to get on base in the fourth inning, he ended the inning with a nifty pick off move to first base that Atkins gloved and applied the tag to end the inning.
“He (Wade) had a great game tonight. He was in command from the first pitch on,” Tucker said. “Even when it got a little tense in the sixth inning, he was still making good pitches. He was still in complete command, never got rattled and he was throwing three pitches for strikes.”
The Cougars managed to plate two runs in the fifth inning, cutting the lead to 3-2. Rome answered in the bottom of the fifth with a run of their own when Reece Fountain reached first after being hit by a pitch. The sophomore moved to second base on a single by Wade and then moved to third base on a sacrifice bunt from Josh Ellard before coming home to score on a wild pitch, giving the Wolves a 4-2 advantage.
The Wolves’ looked to be in danger in the top of the sixth inning, when Alexander’s first two hitters reached base with no outs. With Cougar runners on second and third base and no outs, the Cougars’ next hitter jumped on a 1-0 pitch from Wade.
The ball bounded to Ellard, the third baseman, who gobbled it up and fired it to Vigoa, the catcher, who met the runner before he could get to home plate to collect a big first out in the inning and keep the Cougars from cutting into Rome’s lead.
Rome’s defense delivered another gem when the next Cougar batter drilled a 2-2 pitch into the space between shortstop and second base. Rome freshman shortstop Nevin Boswell ran down the ball, got a glove on it and fired it to Atkins who gloved the throw just in time to get the base runner and record the second out of the inning.
After walking the next batter, Wade got the final batter to pop out to second base ending the inning and the Cougars’ last good chance to get back into the game.
“Those were huge plays. Every ball game has a moment where you win, and that was a winning moment,” Rome High Coach Brent Tucker said after the game. “We work on that situation at third base, and we tell our players if the runner has a lead, you’ve got him, so get him. Then Boswell makes the play up the middle. A freshman makes a play like he’s a senior. Carson did a nice job at first base with that. We played some nice defense tonight.”
Sophomore starter Wade closed out the game in the next inning with three-straight strikeouts earning the complete game win. The sophomore righty threw a total of 101 pitches on the evening, recording five strikeouts while allowing only four hits and two runs in the seven innings of work.
While Tucker praised Wade’s efforts, he also touted Vigoa who called a masterful game behind the plate.
“I’ve got to mention Johnny (Vigoa) on defense. He gets overlooked a lot, but he does an amazing job for us,” Tucker said. “He called almost every pitch tonight. I may have called three pitches total. He did a great job behind the plate.
Vigoa not only did great defensively, but his bat proved lethal to the Cougars with the senior finishing the game going 2 for 3 with a run and an RBI. Atkins finished 1 for 4 with a double, a run, and an RBI, while Ellard ended the evening going 2 for 2 with an RBI.
Rome returned to action against Alexander on the road last Friday evening with an outside chance to still sneak into the Class 6A playoffs, according to Tucker.
“We’ve got a chance. Us, Dalton and Alexander could be in a three-way tie,” he said. “We’re still playing for our playoff lives. Last year it came down to a similar scenario.”
Go Wolves!!!