Raiders' rally falls short

CANTONMENT -- Tate High School's Mac Siebert pierced the Navarre baseball Raiders' hopes for a come-from-behind win Tuesday with a walk-off sacrifice fly in his own park.

Siebert's bases-loaded drive to deep center field with no outs in the seventh inning scored Hunter Black and clinched the Aggies' 8-7 victory. It was the second straight District 1-5A loss for Navarre (2-2) after opening with two non-district wins.

Navarre blew an early 4-0 lead but mounted a two-out, three-run rally in the top of the seventh.

Catcher Dusty Jones, a junior and the Raiders' captain, was down to Navarre's final strike when he drilled a dramatic two-run, game-tying single down the right-field line. Tate's Riley Hodge, pitching in relief of starter Hunter Adams, got Navarre freshman Jason Frederick to fly out to left field and fanned Chris Wheeler before the umpire awarded Cale Secondine first base on catcher's interference. Secondine moved to second on a passed ball and third on Kyle Camilli's single. Gavin Wehby, also a freshman, rapped a single into left field, scoring Secondine and moving Camilli to third. The Aggies' left fielder let the ball by him for an error that let Camilli and Wehby advance to second and third, respectively.

Alex Stevens relieved Hodge with Jones, the leadoff hitter, coming to the plate. After Jones' hit, Stevens struck out Jarrett Zimmerly to quell the rally.

The Aggies Hunter Black greeted Brock Secondine, the Raiders' fifth pitcher, with a double to start the bottom of the seventh and moved to third on a perfectly placed bunt single by leadoff hitter Dustin Sanders. Navarre coach Mickey O'Quinn had Wheeler intentionally walk Adam Mack to load the bases and bring Seibert to bat.

Jacob Taylor singled to start a two-out, first-inning rally. He stole second and went to third on a wild pitch before Justin Jordan singled him home. Frederick's hit moved Jordan to third and walks to Chris Wheeler and Cale Secondine scored Jordan before Camilli lined out to left.

Leading 2-0 going into the third, Taylor reached on an error by the third baseman and advanced on Jordan's second single. Frederick moved the runners with a well-executed sacrifice bunt up the first base line and Wheeler drove in Navarre's third run with a line-drive out to right field. Cale Secondine doubled, plating Jordan, and Camilli and Wehby rapped back-to-back singles -- Camilli's an infield chopper -- before Hodge relieved Adams and got Jones to ground out to second.

Navarre starter Brandon Passalacqua struck out Tate's first batter in the bottom of the third, Mack, before giving up a bloop single to Seibert, who stole second and eventually moved to third and scored on wild pitches. Passalacqua walked Hunter Manning and hit Cole Commander with a pitch, prompting O'Quinn to bring Cory Catyb in from the bullpen. The alert Manning scored from second and Cody Palmer reached safely on an infield error before Catyb fanned J.T. Granat for the second out. Steven Trail walked but made the third out at second base when Black grounded to the shortstop.

Catyb started the fourth inning by walking Sanders and Mack. Nick Combs took the mound and walked Seibert and Manning before being relieved by Wheeler. Commander singled to center field, driving in both runners and moving to third when the Raiders tried to catch Manning at the plate.

Palmer lined out to center and Granat reached on a bad-hop infield single and stole second base before Wheeler struck Trail out looking.

The Aggies added a run with two outs in the sixth when Commander again was hit by a pitch and stole second base. He scored when Camilli missed Palmer's grounder to shortstop. Palmer took second when Navarre center fielder Devante Taylor tried to throw pinch-runner T.C. Curtis out at the plate. Wheeler walked Granat before Frederick, who moved to second base when Wheeler relieved Combs, robbed Trail of a hit with a nice stop to his left and throw to first to end the inning.

Unofficially, the Raiders' offense banged out 12 hits but left 10 runners on base. Wehby had three hits and a walk in four plate appearances and Jordan, Frederick and Camilli had two hits each. Cale Secondine and Jones each had two runs-batted-in for Navarre and Terry and Jordan scored two runs apiece.

Brock Secondine took the hard-luck loss for the Raiders despite pitching just one-third of an inning. Wheeler pitched three innings in relief, giving up a single earned run on four hits and two bases-on-balls. Passalacqua started and went two and one-third innings, also allowing just one earned run on two hits and six walks. Wheeler and Passalacqua each fanned two batters.

The Aggies had just six hits but took advantage of 11 bases on balls and a pair of Raiders' errors. Commander had three RBIs and Seibert and Manning each scored twice for Tate. 

Hodge pitched four solid innings, allowing a single earned run on four hits and a walk and striking out seven Raiders. Stevens got the win despite facing just two batters in one-third of an inning. Adams started and allowed four runs in two and two-thirds innings. He allowed eight hits and walked a pair with one strikeout.

Navarre is scheduled to play a third-straight district contest at Pine Forest on Friday. A junior varsity game is expected to start at 4:30 p.m., followed by the varsit matchup between the Raiders and Eagles.

For more Raider baseball information, go to the NHS Baseball Booster Club website at www.navarrebaseball.com, continue checking navarrepress.com and read Navarre Press each Thursday.