Wild finish to season for Warriors

WASILLA -- A pair of local baseball squads had a wild finish to the 2003 prep season.

The Wasilla Warriors edged the Colony Knights 4-2 Wednesday night at Carl Fritzler Field.

With each team already eliminated from post season competition, the game marked the conclusion of the season for both teams.

Colony and Wasilla stayed scoreless through nearly five innings and carried a 2-2 tie late into the contest.

In the bottom of the sixth, the bottom of the Wasilla batting order was able to come through for the Warriors.

Tyler Tillery and Sam Loeb each drove in runs in the inning to break the 2-2 tie and give the Warriors a 4-2 lead.

Tillery singled to right field to score Adam Bricland and give the Warriors the 3-2 lead.

"That's the second game he has won for us," Wasilla head coach Jim Ressler said of Tillery.

Tillery, a sophomore designated hitter and pitcher, did not see much time in the field during the 2003 season. According to Ressler, Tillery's bat is why the sophomore is in the varsity lineup.

Loeb followed the Tillery single with a double down the right field line. The hit scored Gunner Bahn, who was put into the contest as a pinch-runner for Tillery.

"In the last three games they have come through and helped us out a lot," Ressler said of the bottom of his order. The Wasilla skipper cited Chase Korsmo in addition to Tillery and Loeb. According to Ressler the three hitters at the bottom of the order hit safely in each of the last three games.

Wasilla and Colony played four scoreless innings before Wasilla was able to break the tie in the fifth.

Loeb led off the fifth inning for Wasilla with an infield bunt single. With Loeb on first, Warrior third baseman Shane Colgrove drove a ball deep to left field. Loeb scored from first on the Warrior triple to give Wasilla a 1-0 lead.

Eddie Thomas followed with a single to right field, driving in Colgrove, to give the Warriors a 2-0 lead.

Colony followed in the top of the sixth inning with a pair of runs to tie the score.

Justin Coffman led off the inning with an infield single and stole a pair of bases. Walter Scott earned a walk to give the Knights runners at the corners. Brad Peltz drove in Coffman on a deep fly to center to cut the Warrior lead to 2-1.

Colony used a bit of trickery to tie the score.

Warrior starter Jimbo Ressler, walked the next batter, Colony's Dude Hooser. The fourth ball was a wild pitch, and as Warrior catcher David Sandvick ran to the fence for the loose ball, Hooser rounded first and headed straight for second base. Sandvick gunned out Hooser at second, but Scott was able to sneak into home and tie the score for the Knights.

Early in the game Colony had opportunities to break open the contest. Various snafus prevented the Knights from taking the lead.

In the top of the fourth, Jimbo Ressler walked a pair of runners to load the bases. With the bases stacked and Joe Hess at the plate, Hess showed bunt and Coffman, the Knight runner at third, charged toward the plate.

The Hess bunt popped into the air and was caught by Ressler. The Wasilla hurler doubled up Coffman at third to end the inning.

In the top of the fifth Clay Hotchkiss put a ball just out of reach of the Wasilla shortstop. The ball rolled into center field and John Coan rounded the bases on the play. The Warriors relayed the ball into Sandvick on the play. Sandvick set up right in front of home plate, and Coan hurdled the Wasilla catcher to cross the plate. After a moment of confusion Coan was called out on the play.

"There is a no hurdle rule," Ressler said. "That was a big out."