2021 2A State Championship Game

Garrison versus New Deal

The 2A State Championship couldn’t have been drawn up much better. Preseason #1 Garrison would face off end of season #1 New Deal. It was starting to get hot on Dell Diamond, but no one cared. It was Championship date. Alex Slowikowski would get the ball for Garrison with Andrew Slowikowski behing the plate. New Deal would start Harley Patterson with Noah Rodriguez receiving pitches.

New Deal would come out swinging. On four straight hits (two singles and two doubles), New Deal would jump on a 3-0 lead. RBIs were credited to Colby Henderson and Noah Rodriguez (2). Harley Patterson would start for New Deal. He threw 45 pitches in the Semi-final game. He picked up where he left off and struck out the leadoff batter. Dayton Dewberry hits a ball to left that is misjudged by the left fielder. Dewberry would end up at second. Garrison wasn’t going to lay down and would capitalize on two New Deal errors to get two of the runs back.

New Deal continued to pound the baseball in the second as Arric Mares leadoff with a double followed by a Jordan Aubrey single. Tanner Seeley scored Mares on a sac fly but that was it for New Deal as Alex Slowikowski struck out Colby Henderson and Kyler Reed to end the inning. It would be a 1-2-3 inning for Patterson in the bottom of the second. The first batter would Popout to third baseman Colby Henderson to start the inning. Patterson would strike out the next batter. Tanner Seeley was perfectly positioned up the middle for a 4-3 putout.

In the top of the third with one out, Harley Patterson would single. Nicholas Carrasco would reach on a error. With two outs, Arric Mares would single to score Patterson. At the midpoint it was 5-2 New Deal. In the bottom half, Patterson would strike out the leadoff batter Hunter Crews. Crews replaced Dewberry in the lineup. Alex Slowikowski would single up the middle but no one advanced by 1^st as a 6-4 and a strikeout ended the inning. Slowikowski would start the fourth with a 1-3 groundout of Tanner Seeley. Then get a popout to shortstop Tristan Adkinson and end the inning with a strikeout. Britt King would lead off the inning with a single and that would be it for Harley Patterson. Nicholas Carrasco would be entrusted with the ball for New Deal. His first pitch would be a strike. Chalon Driver would win that battle and single up the middle as would Freddy Christopher to load the bases. But Carrasco would find the pitchers best friend – a double play. Tristan Adkinson is intentionally walked to keep the force at all bases in play and it pays off as Carrasco throws home on the next pitch for the out at home.

In the top of the 5^th, Alex Slowikowski would strike out the first two batters, before allowing a single to Carrasco and hitting pinch hitter Bron Fitzgerald. Arric Mares would pop out to the first baseman in foul territory to end the top of the fifth. The bottom half would go 1-2-3 for Garrison as Carrasco would strikeout Slowikowski then flyouts to center and second.

In the 6^th, Jordan Aubrey reached on an error but is gunned down trying to steal second by Andrew Slowikowski. Tanner Seeley doubles and Colby Henderson reaches on another error. Kyler Reed moved them over but was out at first. With 2 outs, Tyler Spivey would take the mound. Noah Rodriguez swings at the first pitch and lines it up the middle scoring 2. Spivey picks him off at first to end the inning. New Deal Pitcher Nathan Carrasco was efficient in the bottom of the 6^th with another 1-2-3 inning. The first batter grounded out to first, he struck out the next and then a groundout to second.

New Deal couldn’t add any insurance in the 7^th but it wouldn’t be needed as Carrasco would sit down Garrison in order and capture the 2021 State 2A Title.

WP – Nicholas Carrasco (7-2)
LP – Alex Slowikowski (1-2)

Player of the Game: Noah Rodriguez