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Fred T. Foard\u2019s Josh Swink, 5, looks for the strike zone during the game against St. Stephens Friday in Newton. Swink threw 99 pitches in a complete-game effort as the Tigers knocked off the Indians by a 2-1 final.
Fred T. Foard shortstop Braxton Tramel, 16, takes a throw from the catcher as St. Stephens\u2019 Peyton Young, 5, slides into second base Friday in Newton.
NEWTON \u2014 It may have been April 1, but Fred T. Foard pitcher Josh Swink wasn\u2019t fooling around Friday night. The Tigers\u2019 southpaw matched St. Stephens ace Julien Peissel in an old-fashioned pitchers\u2019 duel.
The Western Foothills 3A Conference is all tied up at the midway point of the schedule after Swink and the Tigers pulled out a sterling 2-1 win over the Indians, who entered the night unbeaten in league play. Foard, St. Stephens and North Lincoln are currently in a three-way tie for first place.
\u201cWe got a couple of breaks that didn\u2019t go our way, then we got a couple of breaks that went our way in the end. That\u2019s just how it works out,\u201d said Fred T. Foard coach Channon Vogel. \u201cI\u2019m proud of these guys. They battled the whole night; they were in the game the whole time. The energy level was great. Just can\u2019t say enough about the win.\u201d
Neither coach could heap enough praise on Swink. Needing only 99 pitches to go all seven innings, 63 of which were strikes, the left-hander allowed just three hits, struck out 13, walked two and hit a batter.
\u201cHats off to the pitcher. The lefty really came out and dealt. He competed in the zone. He made us put it in play,\u201d St. Stephens coach Jimmy Bowman said of Swink. \u201cWe couldn\u2019t answer the bell. He really did a good job.\u201d
Vogel was even more effusive in his assessment of Swink\u2019s outing.
\u201cYou can\u2019t say enough about him. He had all three pitches going tonight and we just kept mixing them. I don\u2019t think we threw two fastballs in a row, maybe once all night,\u201d Vogel said. \u201cFastball, slider and changeup \u2014 all three of them were working real well. He just threw a heck of a game tonight against a very good team.\u201d
Both Swink and Peissel dominated opposing hitters through four scoreless innings. The rare occasions either team threatened, both hurlers and their defenses delivered to keep home plate pristine.
That is, until the fifth inning.
Josh Barkley led off the Indians\u2019 half of the fifth with a towering fly ball to the base of the fence in center field for a double. Malaki Kruger took over Barkley\u2019s position on the base paths. Vogel twice brought in a fifth infielder to thwart any attempt by St. Stephens to bunt Kruger to third. Swink fanned two batters, but on the first of those strikeouts catcher Blake Powell had to throw to first to record the out and that allowed Kruger to advance to third.
Elec Marvin then delivered a two-out single through the right side to plate the game\u2019s first run. It was Marvin\u2019s second hit of the night.
Although James Tate followed up by being hit by a pitch, Swink regrouped and not only got out of the inning with anther strikeout but went on to retire the last seven St. Stephens hitters he faced. Five of those were on strikes including the final four outs of the game.
\u201cWe\u2019ve got to get back-to-back hits. We\u2019ve got to string some hits together,\u201d Bowman said. \u201cThe boys know that. We\u2019re going to get better. But again, hats off to their pitcher.\u201d
Down 1-0, Foard responded in the bottom half of the frame. Leadoff batter Hayden Tabor literally got the ball rolling for the Tigers by beating out a ground ball to second. He was sacrificed to second by Connor Peschel and the Indians responded by intentionally walking Braxton Tramel.
Although Peissel got the second out of the inning on a strikeout, the Tigers executed a double steal on the third strike to move up both runners.
\u201cI wanted to move those guys into scoring position. My goal was to get the guy to third with one out,\u201d Vogel explained. \u201cThen you\u2019ve got a whole lot of ways they can score.\u201d
What followed were two pitches that eluded the Indians catcher and allowed both Tigers to score and give Swink a 2-1 lead to work with.
It was enough as he never allowed the Indians to get a ball out of the infield in their final two at-bats.
\u201cThat was so much fun. My curveball was just working tonight, and I got that first-pitch strike I\u2019ve been struggling with. Good team effort,\u201d Swink said. \u201cI was just so excited. I knew we had a chance. It\u2019s a relief pitching with runs on the board, and we got a lead. It felt good.\u201d
Peissel was as impressive as his counterpart. Although he took the loss, the Indians pitcher went the distance while allowing just four hits and striking out 14 over six innings. One of the three walks he issued was intentional and he hit one batter.
\u201cIt was a tough game. Any time you play Fred T. Foard you know you\u2019re in a battle,\u201d said Bowman. \u201cCoach Vogel does a good job with his group.\u201d
Hits were scarce for both teams. Tramel and Kylan Bolick each had doubles for Foard. The other two hits for the Tigers were infield singles by Swink and Tabor.
Besides Barkley\u2019s two-bagger for the Indians, Marvin had a pair of base hits.
Both the Indians and Tigers are now 6-1 in conference play. St. Stephens is 10-2 overall and Foard is 8-2.
\u201cThis was huge. If you didn\u2019t win here, you were two games back starting the second round,\u201d Vogel said. \u201cWith seven games left, that\u2019s a tough, tough battle.\u201d
Bowman was also pointing his team toward the second half of the league slate.
\u201cThere\u2019re still some good things about it. We play a really tough schedule. Obviously, our conference is, in my opinion, one of the toughest in the state with the top four teams,\u201d Bowman said. \u201cIt\u2019s a really tough conference. Anybody can beat anybody.\u201d
St. Stephens hosts West Iredell on Monday, while Foard entertains North Iredell on Tuesday.
St. Stephens;000;010;0;\u2013;1;3;1
Fred T. Foard;000;020;X;\u2013;2;4;0
WP: Josh Swink (3-0)
LP: Julien Peissel (3-1)
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Fred T. Foard\u2019s Josh Swink, 5, looks for the strike zone during the game against St. Stephens Friday in Newton. Swink threw 99 pitches in a complete-game effort as the Tigers knocked off the Indians by a 2-1 final.
Fred T. Foard shortstop Braxton Tramel, 16, takes a throw from the catcher as St. Stephens\u2019 Peyton Young, 5, slides into second base Friday in Newton.
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