Steers take down Hawks in baseball summer league News Staff Wed, 06/19/2024 - 4:29 pm
(TC GORDON | THE GRAHAM LEADER) The Steers’ Cason Roberts slides into second base for a stolen base during Graham’s summer league game Tuesday, June 18. The Steers earned an unofficial win over Iowa Park. 
(TC GORDON | THE GRAHAM LEADER) Graham first baseman Tyson Louder looks upward to catch a pop fly for an out during the Steers’ game against Iowa Park in the summer league Tuesday, June 18. 
(TC GORDON | THE GRAHAM LEADER) Graham right fielder Ryder Calhoun fires a throw home to catch a runner out at the plate during the team’s game against Iowa Park this past Tuesday, June 18. 
(TC GORDON | THE GRAHAM LEADER) Graham pitcher Toby Boenisch extends in his windup to throw a pitch home during one of his two innings pitched in the Steers’ summer league game against Iowa Park this past Tuesday, June 18. 
(TC GORDON | THE GRAHAM LEADER) Third baseman Harrison Ribble fires a throw across the diamond for an out during Graham’s third week of baseball summer league Tuesday, June 18. 
(TC GORDON | THE GRAHAM LEADER) Graham senior Bruin Wright makes contact with a pitch which he turned into one of three hits he had during the Steers’ summer league game Tuesday, June 18 against Iowa Park. 
(TC GORDON | THE GRAHAM LEADER) Graham shortstop Bruin Wright catches a throw and goes to apply a tag on an Iowa Park basestealer during the Steers’ summer league game Tuesday, June 18.
TC Gordon sports@grahamleader.com
It was just another game in the summer league and stats and scores were unofficial, but the Graham Steers walked off over the Iowa Park Hawks to earn another exhibition “win.”
Throughout the course of the baseball summer league, Graham has competed against other teams and played either 10 innings or for three hours, whichever comes first.
For the purposes of these newspaper write-ups, stats have been unofficially kept for seven innings to simulate an official high school game.
In the bottom of the seventh inning and trailing by two runs, the Steers scored three runs to take the win over the Hawks 11-10. Graham’s Tyson Louder had the game-winning hit, as Cooper Corley came home to score on a slow hit to the pitcher that Louder beat out to first base.
The entire evening was wild, both figuratively and literally. Summer games allow players to improve at positions they already know and try out others. Teams use multiple pitchers throughout the game to keep arms fresh and spread innings around.
Pitchers on both sides struggled with control in this game. Combined, the two teams walked 17 times and there were seven batters hit by pitches. And that doesn’t count multiple wild pitches and passed balls which led to runs, as well.
Ultimately, the Steers fought through the adversity and came out on top with contributions up and down the lineup. Graham had exactly nine players for this game, so everyone got plenty of playing time.
The Steers used four pitchers in this game led by Mason Milton and followed by Toby Boenisch, Bruin Wright and Cason Roberts. Each pitcher had varying levels of success against the Iowa Park lineup and Roberts ended up recording the win thanks to Louder’s walk-off.
The two teams traded the lead back and forth several times throughout the course of the evening. Milton allowed three runs to Iowa Park in the top of the first but held the Hawks scoreless in the second.
Meanwhile, the Steers received a lot of production from the top of their order as they scored two runs in the first inning and two more in the second to take a 4-3 lead.
Wright led the way offensively for the team as he finished the game 3-for-4 with five runs scored in the leadoff spot. Corley and Milton, batting second and third in the lineup, both went 2-for-4, respectively, and each drove in two runs.
Iowa Park helped Graham out by committing five errors in the field which led to a few of the Steers’ runs. Defensively, the Steers played an overall clean game as their fielders didn’t commit any major mistakes.
One of the highlights for the Graham defense was a wild play in the top of the sixth inning when Iowa Park’s leadoff hitter reached second base. One of the next batters hit a single to right field which Ryder Calhoun scooped up and fired home.
Louder received the cutoff throw at first base, turned and fired home where the Steers caught the runner in a rundown. The Hawks’ runners got confused and Graham got the runner going home and nearly turned a double play on another runner returning to second base. It was a 9-3-2-5-6-1 putout that kept the Hawks scoreless in the inning.
As Graham trailed 10-8 going into their half of the seventh inning, a couple of walks, an error and Louder’s short hit fueled the Steers’ comeback and gave them the walk-off win.
After earning yet another summer league win, the Steers will return the favor to the Hawks when they visit their field next Tuesday, June 25 for the final game of the summer league season.
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