Down by two in the seventh and final inning, Washington loaded up the bases and was able to score a run before recording the final out of the game and the inning at home plate to fall 6-5 to South Central during the Pam Pack’s Senior Night battle with the Falcons on Tuesday.
Senior Avery Woolard led off the inning by reaching base on a South Central error and was eventually joined on base by Will Swain and Matt Dixon who drew back-to-back walks with two outs.
With the sacks packed, Ryan Hardison drilled a chopper that was mishandled by the Falcons and allowed Woolard to score from third. Swain tried to follow Woolard home for the game-tying run but was gunned down at the plate to end the game.
“I thought our effort was very good and I thought we played hard the whole game,” Washington first-year coach Ryan Whitney said. “But the bottom line is we gave up about five or six unearned runs and that’s just unfortunate.”
Swain would finish the game going 2-2 with a double, while Dodge Buck and Woolard each went 2-4 with a double. David McIver finished the contest going 1-4 and Dustin Moore was 1-3 with an RBI.
Woolard, who was presented the Watkins Athletic Award prior to the game, would throw all seven innings and struck out eight batters in the loss.
“It’s just unfortunate for him because he has been very good for us all year,” Whitney said of Woolard. “There have been a lot of apologies to him in our post-game meetings this season because I think we play hard behind him but we just make too many mistakes.”
Tuesday’s game was the final one for Woolard and fellow seniors Swain, McIver and Hardison, who have the dubious distinction of playing for four coaches during their four varsity seasons.
“It’s been a tough transition for them. I’m sure it’s been a tough for years for them mentally and it says something about them that they kept coming out,” Whitney said.