Draft stuns Fort

FORT DEFIANCE — Stuarts Draft did what it could to create opportunities, making just enough to beat Fort Defiance 9-3 in Southern Valley District action Friday night.

Draft ace Jeremy Fitzgerald gave his all on the mound, working six innings of six-hit ball, giving up three runs.

“We always tell the boys that if they can get the runs our pitchers can win the games,” Draft coach Josh Podgorski said.

Fitzgerald did not have to wait long for runs as the Cougars hit Blake Sipe hard in the first inning.

David Gauldin led off the game with a single. After Fitzgerald tried to sacrifice, Derek Shifflett threw the ball to second, but Gauldin was already in safely.

After a walk to Ricky Dimitt, Cole Beyeler stepped in with the bags packed.

A single to right plated one while a fielding error plated a second.

A Ben Cook sacrifice gave the Cougars their third run of the inning and a three-run cushion for Fitzgerald.

Fitzgerald gave up one run in the bottom of the first, giving the Indian fans a ray of hope.

The hope was all for naught as Fitzgerald teed off on Sipe, launching a ball to deep right-center for a home run, getting the run right back.

“I actually thought it was a double,” Fitzgerald said. “I realized it was a home run when it hit the trees.”

Podgorski was all laughs after the game, joking with Fitzgerald that he “got lucky,” getting a smile from the ace.

The rest of the game went in similar fashion to the second inning as Fort attempted to go on a run, and would make a mental mistake and then Draft would capitalize.

This was most obvious in the fifth inning when Sam Purdom and Brad Mauzy each walked. On a wild pitch, Purdom tried to reach third, but was gunned down by Tyler Brydge to end the threat.

“We made a lot of mental mistakes tonight,” Fort coach Vic Spotts said. “We haven’t made that many all season.”

Righty Wright had a shot in the sixth as well, but Clint McCartney dove towards the line in right saving a possible inside-the-park homerun into out number two.

“He doesn’t play much, but we say that when guys get in they have roles. He played his well,” Podgorski said.

The Cougars as a team played theirs well upsetting one of the early favorites in the Southern Valley to end their week.