This article was contributed by guest writer and FCHS School Psychologist Travis Bailey. He is the Head JV Baseball Coach, along with Assistant Coach Tyler Lynch.
JV baseball kicked off the season on March 19 against Liberty Christian Academy (LCA). LCA rolled in on a bus that would make most minor league teams envious, sporting some of the best uniforms and equipment money could buy. It was quite a sight to see.
Josh Aldridge took the hill for your Flucos and navigated a few walks through the first two innings to hold LCA to zero runs. In the bottom of the second, Bryce Hoy leads off and takes the best LCA has to offer in the back. He shrugs and hustles down to first, thinking of the gift he’d just been given, quickly advances to second on a batted ball, before stealing third and beats a strong throw home on a ground ball to plate the first run of this young season.
In the bottom of the third, your Flucos ran into a spot of trouble after Coulter Farish made a beautiful play in RF, stealing extra bases from an LCA hitter. After that, LCA was able to string together a bevy of hits before Fluvanna could collect the last two outs. With a quiet bottom half of the 3rd, your Flucos trailed 4-1. At the top of the 4th, Josh collected two quick outs. He then walked the next batter and was relieved by Charlie Critzer. Charlie walked the first batter he faced, and then our dear Flucos dropped the ball figuratively and literally, allowing a few unearned runs and pushing the deficit to 6-1. Charlie struggled a bit with control before grabbing the LCA bull by the horns and getting the last out of the inning on three straight strikes with the bases loaded and the game in jeopardy of slipping away.
In the bottom of the fourth, this Fluco team rallied after their first batter struck out. Bryce Hoy doubled to right over the head of the unsuspecting right fielder, who must have missed the scouting report. Batter after batter, Flucos put the ball in play and let LCA show some of the chinks in their armor. Error, error, walk, single, single, walk, and the score was tied at 6-6.
In the fifth, a hit by pitch and defensive lapses allowed LCA to squeak across the go-ahead run, and Flucos were unable to take advantage of a dropped third strike to extend the 5th inning. Charlie continued to fight on the mound behind some shaky defense and his tendency to hit a batter every so often. Heading into the 7th inning and down by 1, the Flucos pushed deep to find that 4th inning spark. LCA responded in the top of the 7th with some firepower of their own, doubling and then softly singling to put runners on 2nd and 3rd with no outs.
The next LCA batter sliced a dying line drive into LF, and Josh Aldridge, who not only pitches but plays solid corner outfield, snagged the ball inches from the grass for the first out. The LCA baserunner appeared to leave third base early, and a double play seemed all but imminent as the throw came into third and the umpire in the field signaled out at the same time the home plate umpire signaled safe.
After a brief huddle and an explanation requested by yours truly, it is explained that home plate has that call, and the run will score. This, of course, is garbage, but baseball is full of bad calls, and I digress. An attempted steal of third by LCA and another dreaded error by the Flucos allowed the ninth run of the game for LCA. Brady Lounsbury played a solid game behind the dish and threw out one baserunner on this fine evening, and truth be told, had our fielders held on to a few more baseballs, that number would easily have been 3 or 4.
I’d love to share that the bottom of the 7th rippled with fireworks for your triumphant Flucos, but not all stories have happy endings. Nine pitches and three strikeouts later, the bottom of the 7th concluded with this see-saw battle resting to an end. Final score was 6-9. One game in the books and only one way to go from here…up.
