After falling in a tough 16-0 loss to Saco in the first game of the tournament, Shaker Valley coach Jim Carroll was proud of the way his club responded in Game 2.
“I think it says a lot about these guys. This tournament is a little bit later than the rest of the tournaments so we had a longer layoff which was tough on the kids who wanted to play. We had to figure out a way to stretch them out but I think the way they came back from a big loss like that and were ready to go says a lot about these kids. Their work ethic, their willingness to battle,” said Carroll.
The Mustangs got off to a fast start, quickly jumping ahead 7-0 in the first inning. The first eight batters would reach base, and Josh Ouellette, Drew Boulanger, Caleb Dyer and Jack Carroll would knock in runs in the half inning.
“It was great for them — we were itching to go and to get back on the field since the loss. It really set the tone for the game, it was big for us to start strong,” said coach Carroll.
Kennebunk would put two runs on the board in the top half of the second, but the Mustangs answered back in the bottom half with two runs of their own. Carroll would add an RBI double, followed by a run on a passed ball to extend the lead to 9-2.
Shaker Valley would put the game away in the bottom of the fourth, when Elijah Greenleaf knocked in the final run to secure the win.
Shaker Valley will take on Saco next, and Carroll is confident that his team can step up and avenge its earlier loss to the Trojans.
“Saco is a great team and they showed that the other day. These guys know that to beat them we’re going to have to play our absolute best. They learned that today because they played well, they know that we’re playing a great team and we’ll have to play our best to beat them. We’re ready to do that,” said Carroll.
— Associate Sports Editor Alex Sponseller can be reached at asponseller@journaltribune.com or at 282-1535 ext. 323. Follow the Journal Tribune Sports Department on Twitter @JournalTsports.
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