Knights sneak past Lathrop in second round

PALMER — It took about four innings for the Colony hitters to warm up on Friday, but the Knights came through when it counted the most.

Junior J.D. Mayo drove in all three of his team’s runs to lead the Knights to a 3-2 win over the Lathrop Malemutes during the consolation semifinals of the ASAA/First National Bank State Baseball Championships at Hermon Brothers Field in Palmer.

“I don’t know what it is, but we didn’t start hitting the ball until the fifth inning,” Colony head coach Jamie Mayo said after the win.

J.D. Mayo followed consecutive singles by sophomore Taylor Palmer and senior Steve Sinnett with a two-run double to the opposite field to tie the score at 2-2 in the fifth.

In the top of the seventh, Mayo drove in freshman Damon Hammer for the go-ahead run with a sacrifice fly to deep center field. The elder Mayo said, oddly, the Knights did their best work at the plate during hit-and-run situations late in the game.

“I don’t know why we have to put an offensive play on before we swing the bat well, but the fact is we did it, regardless of when we did it,” the longtime Colony head coach said. “And we were able to come out with the ‘W’.”

Palmer sparked the Knights in the fifth with a single to right field, and with the hit-and-run on, Sinnett singled to right center. The left-handed hitting J.D. Mayo followed with a double off the left field wall.

“Really, his best swing is to the opposite field,” the coach said of the younger Mayo.

After collecting just a pair of hits by junior Colter Peterson during the first four innings — Peterson singled and doubled off the right field wall — Colony recorded four hits and drew four walks during the final three frames.

Hammer drew a walk to lead off the seventh. After Mayo drove in the game-winning run junior Mike Wagner and senior Rhowe Stefanski drew walks to load the bases, but Lathrop relief pitcher Jake Karl was able to force the final out to get the Malemutes out of a bases loaded jam.

“The bottom line is the kids battled,” Mayo said.

In addition to J.D. Mayo’s work at the plate, a pair of underclassmen who make up Colony’s middle infield — Palmer and Hammer — helped Colony pick up its lone win of the three-day state tourney.

“They played well,” Mayo said of Palmer, Colony’s second baseman, and Hammer, the team’s freshman shortstop. “They made the routine plays and they made several good, moderate to tough plays (on defense). Both of them did well at the plate.”

The middle infield helped Stefanski, Colony’s starting pitcher who worked six solid innings, get the win.

“Rhowe threw a very good game,” Mayo said of his senior, who allowed just one extra base hit in the game.

Wagner retired three of the four batters he faced to earn the save in the seventh.

Contact Frontiersman sports editor Jeremiah Bartz at sports@frontiersman.com.