NEW HOPE — To say that New Hope reliever Landon Moore inherited a jam as he entered the seventh inning of Thursday night’s district game against West Point would be understatement.
With the Trojans leading 5-3 and one out, Moore allowed a fourth Green Wave run thanks to a passed ball, but was just an out away from victory.
After recording an out, New Hope intentionally walked the next batter – West Point star Tyrese Johnson – loading the bases. All West Point needed was a hit, error, walk, passed ball or a wild pitch to tie things up.
“A bit of a jam is an understatement,” New Hope head coach Lee Boyd said. “We weren’t planning on using (Moore). (Grant) Banks had been throwing well out of the pen for us, but we really felt like Landon was our best opportunity to get some strikeouts there.”
Moore, down 3-0 in the count to Jamarkis Richardson, ended up striking out the Green Wave designated hitter to seal a 5-4 win, celebrating emphatically on the mound.
It was a pitcher’s duel that had some late-inning heroics and a nail-biter of a finish, all helping New Hope (6-3) get off to a 2-0 start in district play. Compared to Monday’s 16-5 run-rule victory in favor of the Trojans, this was a much more competitive and exciting matchup.
“I had so much confidence in my team,” New Hope pitcher Mason Ellis said. “This is such a great group of guys. I couldn’t have asked to be on a better team than this one. … I knew they would pull through, give us a lead and win this ballgame.”
Ellis and Johnson faced off in one of the best early-season pitching performances in the state so far, each allowing two runs and walking three while striking out 10 batters each.
Johnson threw 4.1 innings on the day while Ellis worked into the sixth in a star-studded matchup that lived up to the billing.
Johnson, West Point’s (2-8, 0-2 in district) future college prospect, made it that much more thrilling after hitting a two-run homer to help out his cause in the first inning.
“He’s a special talent,” West Point head coach Mitch Bohon said. “He’s one of the best high school players I’ve ever seen. He’s the best high school kid I’ve ever coached. He’s a game-changer.”
Johnson ended up driving in the first three runs of the game for the Green Wave, including a two-out, two-strike RBI single in the sixth inning to give West Point a 3-2 lead.
New Hope answered back in a big way in the bottom-half of the frame, however, tying things up with an RBI sacrifice fly from Brady Cole before a passed ball strikeout and wild pitch gave the Trojans a two-run cushion.
The little things made all the difference late and nearly cost the Trojans a win as Banks, who came in relief of Ellis in the sixth, and Moore both had control issues.
Luckily for New Hope, it survived in an early-season district test that showcased the best of both programs on the field.
“This division is tough, man,” Boyd said. “All of those teams play really good baseball, so we’re feeling good starting off 2-0.”
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