PAGE A18, KEIZERTIMES, JULY 16, 2021
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SPORTS
Walk-off
Game-winner from Markantonatos
puts Mavericks over the top
BY MATT RAWLINGS
Of the Keizertimes
C
oming into the Mavericks series
opener with the Senators, Nick
Markantonatos never had a walk-off hit.
But when he got his opportunity to be
a hero on Friday, July 9, Markantonatos
made the most of it.
With the game tied at 5-5 in the bottom
of the ninth, Markantonatos launched a
two-run blast over the right fi eld wall to
give the Mavericks the 7-5 victory over the
Senators.
“It feels great. I got the pitch I was look-
ing for and I just drove it,” Markantonatos
said.
“The kids were grinding. We were in
position all game, we were just missing
that one big hit. Fortunately, we got it,”
Alan Embree said, the Maverick's manager.
The Senators jumped on top into the
lead top of the fi rst thanks to a sacrifi ce
fl y by Blayze Arcano-Liacuna and an RBI-
single from JaVon Logan. However, the
Mavericks responded with three runs in
the bottom half of
the frame to take the
He was throwing me
lead.
With the bases
fastballs all game, but
loaded and two outs,
Leomar
Jiminez
I like the off -speed stuff .
punched
a
see-
So when he threw one low,
ing-eye, two-run sin-
gle past the Senators
right in my power zone,
shortstop. Moments
later, Drake Zarate
I just drove it over.
would score on a
wild pitch to give
the Mavericks the
lead.
The Mavericks
Mavericks player
were active on the
bases throughout
much of this game, as they stole seven good jumps,” Embree said.
bases on the night — three of which came
Both teams would put up crooked
in the fi rst inning.
numbers once again in the second inning.
“We were just taking advantage of situ- Tanner Cantwell came through with an
ations. Our boys were aggressive and got RBI-double for the Senators to tie the game
— NICK MARKANTONATOS
up, which was followed by a two-run single
from Edgar Vela, putting Salem back on
top 5-3.
But in the bottom half of the frame,
RBI-hits from Rodny Rodriguez and Matt
Holliday allowed the Mavericks to tie the
game at 5-5.
After giving up fi ve runs in the fi rst
two innings, Mavericks pitcher Ethan
Rosebeck settled in and put up goose eggs
for the next fi ve frames.
“He didn't want to come out of the
game. That is the kind of kid you want,”
Embree said. “He battled his butt off .”
Not to be outdone, however, was
Senators pitcher Alan Vazquez. Vazquez
came to the hill in relief in the third inning
and gave one of the most memorable
performances in the brief history of the
Mavericks League, striking out 16 hitters
in just over six innings of work.
See WALK-OFF, page 23