On a day when hot, humid conditions brought the abbreviated end to the Charles–St. Mary’s County Baseball League contest between Indian Head and La Plata at Lackey High School, the host Twins emerged with an 8-4 victory in seven innings although the outing had been originally scheduled for a full nine.
La Plata (6-1) and Indian Head (2-4) were initially scheduled to play a nine-inning game on Saturday afternoon, but league organizers shortened the contest to seven innings amid safety concerns due to the excess heat. While the first five innings sailed along, the prolonged sixth actually forced the home plate umpire to bow out early leaving the field umpire to call balls and strikes from behind the pitching mound.
“We wanted to move the game to 11 [am] but they [La Plata] was unable to do it,” Indian Head manager Darren Sanders said. “When it gets hot, you just adjust. I mean, you drink more water and try to stay in the shade when you can. It was a quick game until the sixth.”
In actuality, La Plata pitcher Gabe Multumyr and Indian Head hurler Alex Herrle were hooked in a scoreless duel through the first three innings which took less than 30 minutes to play. Indian Head actually scored first in the top of the fourth when Charlie Wright plated a run on a fielders choice, but the Twins immediately tied it in the home half of the frame on a solo homer from Tyler Day.
La Plata took the lead for good in the home half of the fifth when Multumyr singled, stole second, went to third on a ground out then scored on a double by Andrew Leginze. Indian Head left two runners aboard in the top of the sixth and the wheels fell off for La Plata as well as the home plate umpire in the home half of the frame.
Indian Head relief pitcher Ian Remalia fanned the first La Plata batter he faced, but was unable to retire another one before being hooked. Remalia walked two batters and hit two batters with the bases loaded and Brett Michael ended his brief outing with a two-run double. Day later added a two-run single to extend the Twins’ lead to 8-1 after the home plate umpire bowed out from the heat.
“They wanted to move the game to this morning, but I had to work and some of my guys already had commitments,” La Plata coach Tony Sweeney said. “We were shorthanded today as it was. It was a quick game until that sixth inning. But it was also really hot and those long innings take their toll on you on days like today.”
Indian Head responded with three runs against Multumyr in the top of the seventh, getting the last two when Preston Long smacked a two-run double off Leginze, who entered the game with the bases loaded and no outs. Leginze retired the first two Indian Head batters before Long delivered then the last one as well.
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