Whiteoak, at Paints Stadium for the second day in a row, picked up Wednesday where they left off on Tuesday as they took on the Waterford Wildcats in the Southeast District Finals. Whiteoak emerged victorious following a six run fifth inning that ended the game 10-0 in favor of the Wildcats in white.
Whiteoak head coach Chris Veidt talked about his teams’ run rule win in the district finals.
“The last district championship we won in 2013 we had a run rule victory as well, but this is a different team and we go about the game a little differently. The ’13 team was patient at the plate, but they didn’t apply the pressure on the bases that these guys did because we just didn’t require that of them, it was a different type of team. The way we play the game takes a toll on people after awhile,” said Veidt.
Trever Yeager recorded the game ending two RBI single that drove in Evan Brill and Mason Lehr. Whiteoak forced two pitching changes in the bottom of the fifth as they chased the Waterford starter two batters in following an RBI double by Traeten Hamilton that scored Ryan Roberts who had reached on a walk in the previous at bat.
Waterford’s relief pitcher only lasted four batters as he hit Chase Carraher and Caleb West to load the bases. Brill was next to the plate and drew a walk to load the bases again after Hamilton scored on a passed ball from third base. Lehr was next and singled to drive in Carraher and West.
Lehr advanced to second base on a throw to home plate in an attempt to cut down West at the plate. Joey Oliver replaced Lehr at second base as a pinch runner as Waterford called for their second reliever of the inning. The third pitcher for the Wildcats in green promptly surrendered the game-winning hit to Yeager and triggered celebrations from the Whiteoak players.
Chase Butler pitched a complete game shutout for Whiteoak to record the win. Butler struck out one, hit two batters and allowed one hit in the game. The defense behind Butler was stout all night as they turned one double play in the first inning and kept the ball in front of them the entire night with the lone exception coming in the fourth on the only hit of the night for Waterford.
Hamilton opened the scoring for Whiteoak in the bottom of the first inning after singling and stealing second and third base. Brill drove him in with a sacrifice to give Whiteoak a 1-0 lead.
The Wildcats in white added three runs in the third inning as Hamilton, Carraher and West each scored. Hamilton was driven in by Carraher who reached home plate on an error before Brill laid down his second sacrifice of the game to plate West.
Veidt took a little time to look ahead to regionals and thinks his team is good enough to compete with anyone.
“We just have to stick with the process. If we do that and play as clean as defense as we had tonight, have the quality at bats like we had tonight and get the type of pitching like we had tonight and last night as well we are going to be fine no matter who we play and no matter where we play. Ultimately it’s not who you play, it’s not where you play, it’s not where you play; it’s how you play,” Veidt said.
Reach Ryan Applegate at 937-402-2572, or on Twitter @RCApplegate89.
