Myers Park dominates rival South Mecklenburg in key conference baseball game
Myers Park High’s baseball team took control of the South Meck 4A Conference race with a 11-1 victory in six innings over visiting South Mecklenburg at Jack Sink Field Tuesday night.
The Mustangs (15-6, 9-1) get two chances later this week to wrap up at least a share of the title and two wins would give Myers Park the outright title. The Mustangs visit Berry Academy Thursday and South Mecklenburg again (14-9, 9-2) Friday.
A South Mecklenburg win Friday could give the Sabres a co-championship entering next week’s postseason league tournament.
Myers Park junior right-hander Thomas Jokinen threw a two-hitter with eight strikeouts; the only run he allowed was unearned.
“We rode a hot hand in Game 1 and we’ve got another hot hand in Game 2,” Myers Park coach Erik Foor said of his Tuesday starter Jokinen and projected Friday starter Henry Bauer. “Both of those guys are coming on strong as of late.”
A missed bunt by William Washburn with two on and one out in the third ended up leading to a five-run inning for the Mustangs that broke the game open.
After missing the bunt and taking a strike, Washburn stroked an 0-2 pitch up the middle for an RBI single that ended the scoreless tie. The rally started with the first of four South Mecklenburg fielding errors in the inning that made six of the Mustangs’ 11 runs unearned.
“Washburn’s a guy who is a situational hitter and can put things in motion,” Foor said. “He can do a little bit of everything up there at the plate.”
Myers Park kept on scoring as Washburn had a two-run single and Jaxon West a RBI double in the fourth to make it 8-1, the Sabres’ fourth and final error allowed two runs to cross the plate in the fifth and pinch-hitter Garrett Haston drew a bases-loaded hit by pitch with one out in the sixth to end the game by the 10-run “mercy” rule.
Three who made a difference
Thomas Jokinen, Myers Park: Threw a two-hitter with eight strikeouts and struck out six of the first eight batters he faced.
Top of Myers Park lineup: No. 2 hitter William Washburn, No. 3 hitter Jaxon West and No. 4 hitter Davis Johnson had two hits apiece with Washburn driving in three runs and West one.
Gabe Luke-Judy, South Mecklenburg: Sabres’ cleanup batter had a two-out RBI double in the fourth for his team’s lone run.
Notable
▪ The Mustangs’ victory was their 11th win in the last 12 games against South Mecklenburg. The teams have been playing virtually every year since South Mecklenburg’s first season of 1960.
▪ Myers Park has won 11 conference titles all-time and one more win would give them 12 with three in the past five seasons. The Mustangs also have one state title and two state runner-up finishes.
▪ South Mecklenburg has won eight conference titles in its history that also includes two state championships and two state runner-up finishes, the last coming in 2013.
They said it
“The offense really set the tone tonight. It gave T.J. a cushion and let him relax and be himself.” - Myers Park head coach Erik Foor
GAME SUMMARY
South Mecklenburg 000 100 - 0 2 4
Myers Park 005 321 - 11 7 1
W- Thomas Jokinen. L- Reese Guertin.