九色视频 鈥 Nathan Spurry was in a closer鈥檚 role this spring for St. Michaels High鈥檚 baseball team.
Tuesday night he showed he鈥檚 a pretty fair starter as well.
Spurry hurled a complete game and drove in Nico Nicolopoulos with the winning run in the bottom of the sixth inning, lifting Talbot Post 70 to a 4-3 victory over four-time defending Eastern Shore North Division American Legion champion Caroline Post 29 at Warrior Field.
鈥淛ust came out here trying to throw strikes; trying to produce ground balls, get outs,鈥 Spurry said.
Mixing a cutter with fastballs, Spurry allowed only two runners to reach base over the first three innings 鈥 one on an error, the other on a fielder鈥檚 choice in the second inning.
Down 3-0, Caroline (0-1-1) scratched across a pair of runs in the fourth. Austin Frank drilled a leadoff double to center field. Colton Maans walked and was lifted for courtesy runner Wes Thomas. Eric Deck (2 for 3) singled to center, scoring Frank. Gavin Whitby (2 for 3) singled to load the bases before Johnny Radcliff grounded out, scoring Thomas to make it 3-2
But Spurry ended the threat there, getting a strikeout before catcher Nicolopolous alertly grabbed a ball that was chopped in front of the plate and tagged Caleb Cole for an inning-ending, unassisted putout.
Caroline rallied to pull even in the top of the sixth on Whitby鈥檚 one-out RBI single. Again, Spurry escaped any further damage, retiring two of the next three batters to keep it at 3-3 heading into the home half of the sixth.
鈥淭hrew strikes,鈥 Talbot manager Albert Pritchett said of Spurry, who finished with four strikeouts and two walks. 鈥淕ot ahead of every batter, mixed it up. Very impressive.鈥
Talbot (1-0) took a 1-0 lead in the home first. Frank issued back-to-back walks to Gavin Murphy and Couper Barletta. Two batters later, Pearson Greenwood laced a double to right field, plating Murphy. Frank squelched the rally there, getting Ethan Royer to pop out and Jesus Crespo on a comebacker to the mound.
Post 70 pushed its lead to 2-0 in the second. Brennen Griffin (2 for 2) hit a leadoff single and Nathan Merchant walked. Spurry then hit an 0-2 offering into left-center field for a double that scored Griffin. Again Frank extinguished a potential big rally, striking out the next three straight batters.
Talbot made it 3-0 in the third, as Tim McGuckin worked a leadoff walk, stole second, advanced to third on Greenwood鈥檚 groundout to first, and scored when Crespo singled sharply to left field.
Caroline pulled even in the sixth before Talbot moved back in front in the home sixth. Nicolopoulos worked a leadoff walk against Post 29 reliever Chase Hitchens then stole second. Hitchens came off the mound to catch Brody McDaniel鈥檚 bunt attempt for the first out. Nicolopoulos advanced to third on an errant pickoff attempt. Spurry then grounded out deep in the hole at shortstop, allowing Nicolopolous to score what proved to be the winning run.
鈥淜nocked in the winning run for himself,鈥 Pritchett said of Spurry. 鈥淣ice game.
鈥淔irst game, little rusty,鈥 said Pritchett, who was without Cullen Murphy, Josh Dressler and Anthony Massaro Tuesday. 鈥淪ome of the guys haven鈥檛 played since high school (season ended). We could have had a few more runs, but I think the hitting will come around.鈥
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