Providence HS-A wild pitch allowed Noah Couch to score the game-winning run, and Dylan Simmons pitched a perfect eighth inning as the Trinity Christian Academy Conquerors shook off a game-tying grand slam and got a huge district win at the home of their biggest rivals of all, the Stallions of the Providence School of Jacksonville.
With the scored tied 7-7 after regulation, catcher Matt Luxenberg led off the top of the eighth with an infield single. Couch took over as the courtesy runner and advanced to second on Conner Aldrich‘s third successful sacrifice bunt of the season. Couch then stole third to set up the game-winning play. With Bryan Muniz at the plate, the pitch got away from Tyler Callihan (L)and went wild, allowing Couch to score.
Simmons (W: 2-1, 5.36 ERA) then retired the side in order with the final out landing in left fielder Denver Wood‘s glove to end the excitement. Simmons entered in the top of the seventh and retired all six men he faced. He struck out one without allowing a base runner.
Trinity led 6-2 after scoring a run in the top of the sixth. However, Providence’s Nathan Hickey came to plate with the bases loaded (all hit by pitches) and one out in the bottom half. The very powerful left-handed hitting senior catcher/pitcher — who has a strong chance of getting drafted in the MLB June draft — deposited the first pitch over the center-field fence to tie the score.
Trinity scored four runs in the top of the first. Simmons highlighted the rally with a two-run home run (2) that scored Muniz ahead of him. Muniz had just doubled his way aboard while driving in Aldrich (reached on an error) and Dawson Fietsam (double) to make the score 2-0.
Providence got single runs in the second (Brady Ortman RBI single) and fourth (Ortman scored on error), and Trinity added single runs in the fourth (Muniz on error) and sixth (Muniz on passed ball) to make the score 6-2 Trinity and set up the exciting finish.
The Conquerors (10-4 overall, 2-0 in 4A, District 2) will travel to Las Vegas next week to participate in the Bishop Gorman Invitational between April 1 and 5. Game dates, times, and opponents, are not yet finalized. Providence (9-5, 1-1) will face district opponents Duval Charter (8-1, 0-1) on Monday, April 1, and Episcopal (7-5, 1-0) on Tuesday, April 2.
Trinity’s next home game is against district opponent Bishop Snyder (9-4, 1-0) Thursday April 11th at 7pm.
