High School Softball: Mustangs 1, Trojans 0
PITTSBURG Derek By-crofts grease paint was surrounded by beads of sweat by the time it was over.
Baseball is, of course, a team sport and if anyone tells you a single player won the game by themselves, theyre lying. However, in Iolas 1-0 win over Girard in the 4A-II regional championship game hosted by Frontenac (but played at Pittsburg States baseball field due to the condition of the Raiders field), the junior ace came pretty dang close.
Hell never give in to anybody, head coach Mark Percy said. Ill guarantee you that. He may not always come through, but its not for lack of effort. Hes somebody you love having on the mound. Even when hes not on, hes battling. You just dont find that all of the time. I think some of our guys are learning from him a little bit about what it takes to get stuff done.
Bycroft turned in a seven-inning shutout, allowing just three hits and two walks while striking out nine batters. The ace threw 100 pitches and nearly 75 percent of those were strikes.
He faced 27 batters and recorded first-pitch strikes on 20 of them.
When he needed to dominate, he did. He wobbled at times but never enough to the point where he couldnt fix it.
In the second inning, By-croft starting things off by throwing his third strikeout of the day. But a Trojan single, a tough error by first baseman Brady Wiggin and a walk loaded the bases for Girard with one out.
A hit could have easily scored two and a walk or pop-up couldve scored one. After examining all of that, it became simple for Bycroft. Strikeouts were what the situation asked for and he delivered.
Bycroft set down the first Trojan in three pitches and struck out the second in a full-count battle.
I just knew that I needed to bear down and do what I needed to do to save some runs, Bycroft said. If they scored there, I had faith that wed come out and hit but I just trusted my defense and kept pounding the zone and that brought strikeouts.
With calamity avoided, Bycroft settled in a rhythm, allowing just two hits and a walk the rest of the was.
Cruise control was engaged.
Meanwhile, on the offensive end, it all started with a walk in the bottom of the fifth inning by sophomore catcher and nine-hole hitter Casen Barker.
Barker had led-off the third with a walk which led to the bases being loaded but the Mustangs couldnt get the crucial hit.
This time, freshman Isaac Badders came in to pinch run for Barker and an out later, sophomore Calvin Delich who had two of the Mustangs four hits in the game singled to centerfield to move Badders to second.
Bycroft got hit by a pitch for the second time the first glanced off his helmet and advanced the Mustangs lead run to third.
Sophomore Cal Leonard grounded into a fielders choice and Girards third baseman chose to throw the ball to second, allowing Badders to cross home plate.
