Boys’ JV Baseball had their first game on Wednesday at home against Brunswick. Jonah Feldman ’20 started on the mound and pitched well. The team gave up three runs in the first two innings, due to some early communication errors. Choate came back in the bottom of the third to tie the game at three, and Ruben Kaplan ’20 came in to pitch in the fourth. Meanwhile, the offense began to pick up steam, and Choate capitalized on its momentum, taking a 7-5 lead.
Kaplan said, “A key moment was our big rally in the 4th inning, as several hitters got base hits and walks to bring in runs. Also Chris Guyette ’19 made an incredible diving catch in center field in the 4th inning.”
During the comeback, Graham Keating ’19 and Kaplan had key hits to propel the team. Late in the game, Zaid Ball ’20 and Sungwoo Park ’17 came in to pitch, hoping to close out the game. Despite the team’s best efforts, Brunswick was able to push a couple of runs across the plate and take a 9-7 lead. The Boars knew they were going to have to rally again if they wanted to win the game. With one out in the bottom of the seventh inning, Choate loaded the bases after left-fielder Ahmed Wise ’20 was walked, second baseman Rodrigo Navarro ’20 was hit by a pitch, and shortstop Gordon Clark ’19 singled to left field. The Brunswick pitcher was clearly rattled with the bases loaded and only one out. Choate had all the momentum, and the Brunswick pitcher, with two outs, walked in a run to make it a one run game. Unfortunately Choate couldn’t complete the comeback, and Brunswick walked away with a one run 9-8 victory.
After the game Coach Zachary Kafoglis said, “We’re pretty green at this point. Due to copious rain, we weren’t able to get on our field until Monday. As a result, I think we are still figuring out our strengths. We have a lot of depth in the infield which is great, and I was pleased with how aggressive we were at the plate and that we weren’t afraid to take some swings.”
Several players echoed Coach Kafoglis’ message, specifically Gordon Clark ’19 who said, “After a rough start, when things started working on the field and in the batter’s box, the team’s morale raised quite a bit. Also, when center-fielder Guyette made that incredible diving catch, the team went crazy.”
As the weather clears up and the fields dry out the team should be able to get out onto the field more often. With a strong performance in their first game despite the lack of outdoor practice, the team looks primed for a good season. The boys have a showdown with Taft on Friday, April 21. The teams only play each other once this season, so it seems that both sides will give the other its best so far. The Choate team is young, and they will surely get better as the season goes on.
