Blue’s Home Run Snaps Fifteen-Year Losing Skid Against Borgia Knights

In the bottom of the 6th, Chase Blue launched the ball over the fence to put the final nail in the coffin against Borgia (8-5). The Eagles (8-3) rushed onto home plate to celebrate the historic finish for a victory that was fifteen years in the making. Sullivan snapped a five-game losing skid to Borgia that had lasted since 2009 in their 10-4 win on Thursday, Apr. 11.

This Eagles-Knights clash held two homers, one by Borgia’s Noah Hendrickson early on and the other by Blue. The matchup also marked the first time a baseball player hit a home run at Sullivan Bank Ballpark since Cody McKinney did it on Apr. 24, 2017, against Union.

Eagles head coach Ian Whitson was speechless after the Borgia game, saying, “I’ve never seen a home run ball go out of here until today.” He also praised Blue, describing his homer as an “absolute mammoth of a shot.”

When describing how he fired his strike out of the park, Blue explained, “It’s never my intention to hit a home run. I always just try to hit a line drive over the shortstop. When the pitcher got behind, I was saying in my head, ‘fastball in the strike zone, swing hard, make good contact.’ [It’s] always a fun time to make your teammates hype[d].”

Hendrickson’s home run in the top of the first drove up a 4-0 Borgia lead and left Sullivan shocked.

The Eagles were looking for a miracle in the bottom of the second as they had two outs on the board. Cambrian Koch got Sullivan’s momentum rolling by launching a hard ground ball for a single. He took risks on the diamond, and with the dugout cheering him on, Koch eventually scored the first run for the Eagles. Nolan Ulrich and Landen Doza would make it home on Gavin Schmidt’s double later. Dayton Skaggs blasted a line drive that drove Schmidt in for a run to tie it. After that, Blue made a single to give D. Skaggs the chance to put the Eagles ahead on the scoreboard. Mitchell Garner then sealed the deal by allowing Kaden Smith and Blue to take a 7-4 lead on his double.

Sullivan’s starting pitcher, Drake Gawer, dominated in the five innings he pitched and stopped the Knights from making another crusade. He delivered a season-high 11 strikeouts while giving up six hits, four earned runs and four walks.

Isaiah Skaggs pitched briefly in the top of the 6th. He allowed a hit and a walk.

Nate McReynolds relieved him in the middle of the inning and shut the door on the Knights with two strikeouts. He only surrendered one walk.

Sullivan found their momentum at the plate again in the bottom of the 6th. Schmidt grounded into a fielder’s choice, which allowed Doza to break the scoring drought. Blue then secured Sullivan’s victory by hitting a home run that brought D. Skaggs home.