After 10 1/2 innings, nearly 4 1/2 hours and with the winning run on third base in the bottom of the 11th, the umpires decided it was too dark to play on.
The result was a 0-0 Western League tie between St. Augustine and Patrick Henry at Hickman Field.
“It’s garbage, sheer garbage,” said a frustrated St. Augustine coach Craig da Luz. “We worked our butts off and deserve better than this. It was one helluva game, well played by both side. But you don’t let it come this far without and end.”
The game was a pivotal league contest between the No. 3-ranked Saints (12-7-1, 2-2-1) and the No. 4-ranked Patriots (12-6-2, 3-1-1).
Henry won the first game of the series 8-1 on Monday. The teams play again Thursday at Patrick Henry.
“We probably shouldn’t have even started the 11th inning,” Henry coach Sheldon Watkins said. “It was a tough way to end, especially for Saints.”
The game started as a pitcher’s duel between Grayson Bowls of St. Augustine with a number of professional scouts on hand to see the right-hander, and righty Cody Cappelletti of Henry.
Cappelletti went six innings, allowing two hits while striking out eight.
Bowles went seven innings, allowing two hits with nine strikeouts. He retired the last 11 Patriots hitters in order.
“Bowles and Cappelletti have been among the top pitchers in the county for the last three years,” Watkins said. “So we both knew runs would be at a . We knew Cody would have to match zeroes with Bowles. We left a few runners on base, ran into a couple of outs in the first inning and never really got much going.”
Alex Westman started the game for Henry with a single to center, but was thrown out at second on a failed sacrifice attempt. Preston Conklin was promptly thrown out stealing.
Henry didn’t get as runner to second base until the eighth inning, then left two on in the eighth, ninth and 11th innings.
“That was frustrating,” Watkins said.
In the bottom of the 11th, Shane Miranda got the Saints started with a single. Anthony Thompkins reached on an error with the runner going to third.
A fly ball to right was too shallow to score the run, then Drake Konja was walked intentionally to load the bases.
That’s when the game was called.
“You just can’t do that in that situation,” da Luz said.
“This was a typical Western League game where every run is important. Our league is like the NL West where every team is good. This was too big a game to have end this way. Now we can’t win the series with Henry. And this could come back and bite us in the playoff pairings.”
Henry’s Kayden Henson, a transfer from Santana, and Tyler Wick for St. Augustine both pitched very well in relief.
The game featured 25 strikeouts and only six hits.
“We can win the series on Thursday, but bouncing back from this won’t be easy for either team,” Watkins said. “Thursday is an important game. We’ll have to bring some energy.”
