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Prep baseball: Rochester rallies in seventh to upend KWC for state berth
TL;DR
Rochester baseball team rallied in the seventh inning to defeat King's Way Christian 5-2, securing a spot in the state tournament.
Key points
- Rochester baseball team rallied in the seventh inning
- Defeated King's Way Christian 5-2
- Secured a spot in the state tournament
- Game took place on May 16
- Played at W.F. West High School
May 16—BOX SCORE
At W.F. West HS
WARRIORS 5, KNIGHTS 2
Rochester.000 100 4 — 5
King's Way C.000 002 0 — 2
ROC Pitching — Singleton 5.2 IP, 3 H, 2 ER, 5 BB, 7 SO; Martin 1.1 IP, 0 H, 0 ER, 1 BB, 2 SO. Highlights — Culp 3-4, RBI; Rodriguez 2-4, 2B, R; Driver 2-5, RBI, SB; Singleton 2-4, RBI
KWC Pitching — Disbrow 5 IP, 6 H, 1 ER, 4 BB, 3 SO; Liou 2 IP, 5 H, 4 ER, 1 BB, 1 SO. Highlights — Heck 1-4, RBI; Johnson 0-2, 2 HBP; Schaller 1-4, R
Easton Singleton lost his freshman season of playing for the Rochester High School baseball team to an ACL injury.
He lost a bid for a perfect game in the third inning on Friday night. He lost the no-hitter in the fifth. He lost the shutout and the lead in the sixth.
It turned an outing that featured five straight goose eggs into the Warriors three outs away from seeing their season end a game away from the Class 1A state tournament.
"I'm glad the team believes in me," Singleton said.
There was one thing the sophomore didn't lose at W.F. West.
Faith in himself.
Singleton ripped an RBI infield single with the bases loaded in the top of the seventh inning that tied the game and witnessed the Evergreen League's No. 2 seed continue to add onto the comeback and triumph over King's Way Christian 5-2 in the penultimate game of the 1A District 4 tournament.
It marks the first time in 12 years that Rochester (13-8) will be one of the final 16 teams in 1A once the seeding is unveiled. The four-game losing streak that hovered over the dugout entering the playoffs has gone by the wayside with three victories in its last four games.
"Just amazing," Rochester head coach Brad Quarnstrom said. "So proud. We've been telling them all year, when we play with high energy, we can play with anybody."
The emotions were palpable for Singleton, who admitted he wanted the ball in the most pressure-packed game of his young prep career. And while his 5.2 innings of work on the mound with seven strikeouts was what the doctor ordered, his bat saved the day.
Simon Barth led off the seventh by getting plunked and moved over on Ethan Rodriguez's beautifully executed bunt single. Tayden Martin hit a grounder to KWC's second baseman Isaac Lind, who tried to get Rodriguez out at second, to no avail.
Then Singleton's full count pitch was a chopper, unable to be corralled by the Knights shortstop and everyone was safe.
"I'm glad the outcome happened, just amazing," Singleton said. "This year has been so fun. Just got the job done, it wasn't anything special."
"He (Easton) was the toughest guy on the field," Quarnstrom said. "For him to go out and do what he did as a sophomore, unbelievable performance."
Wyatt Dahl gave the Warriors their final lead with a sacrifice fly then Ruger Culp and Tyler Huston each laced RBI singles to cap the frame. Martin ended KWC's hope at a comeback of its own by striking out the tying run.
The dugout spilled out and a bunch of smiles didn't go away for quite awhile.
Rochester had several chances to get in front early, but stranded four of its first five runners in scoring position. It loaded the bases in the fourth after a double play, but Owen Driver poked an RBI base hit to give the Warriors the game's first run.
Singleton made it stick, using his fastball and slider/curveball combo to baffle the KWC lineup.
"They were biting hard," the right-hander said of his off-speed pitches. "No-no through five is pretty cool."
His lone miscue came in the sixth. Rochester ran a pick play where second baseman Dane Akin charged the batter's box in an attempt to distract the runner on first. Singleton's pickoff attempt sailed high and another single plus hit by pitch loaded the bases with no outs.
The Knights tied the game on a Cal Heck RBI single and Cade Horrocks scored on a wild pitch to put them ahead.
"That was a big one, hopefully (we'll) never do that again," Quarnstrom said of the error.
Driver, Rodriguez and Singleton all finished with two hits for the Warriors while Culp led the lineup with three hits. They believe they'll be in the double digit seeds, but Quarnstrom isn't putting it by his team to keep the ride going.
After all, he expected this.
"At this point, it doesn't matter," Quarnstrom said. "We had a few hiccups along the way. Ultimately, they pulled through."
Q&A
How did Rochester baseball team secure their state berth?
Rochester secured their state berth by rallying in the seventh inning to score four runs against King's Way Christian.
What was the final score of the Rochester vs. King's Way Christian game?
The final score was Rochester 5, King's Way Christian 2.
When did the Rochester baseball team play against King's Way Christian?
The game took place on May 16 at W.F. West High School.
What were the inning scores in the Rochester vs. King's Way Christian game?
Rochester scored 0 in the first two innings, 1 in the third, and 4 in the seventh, while King's Way scored 0 in the first three innings and 2 in the sixth.