by Seneca Contomanolis
DigitalSports Richmond
It has been a pretty good couple of days for Matoaca.
The Warriors defeated host Atlee 16-9 on Thursday for their fourth win in two days of the Spring Break Blast.
Matoaca, ranked ninth in the DigitalSports Top 10, defeated Douglas Freeman and Hermitage on Wednesday and Lee-Davis earlier Thursday.
“This is pretty good momentum heading into the district season,” Matoaca’s Matt Gwaltney said. “The best thing is not to let our heads get too big.”
Gwaltney, the designated hitter, went 2 for 4 with two RBI after going 4 for 4 with two homers and five RBI against the Confederates.
Sophomore Austin Kilbourne was 3 for 4 and had a home run, two doubles and four RBI and David Palisano was 3 for 3 with an RBI for Matoaca (5-1).
“Just keep my weight back, feel my hands, hit the ball, try to hit it as hard as I could,” said Kilbourne of his at-bats.
The Warriors got on the board right away as Gwaltney drove in two and Kilborne one in the top of the first.
Atlee’s Taylor Sandefur (2 for 3) had an RBI in the bottom of the inning but Matoaca scored three more in the third to take a commanding 6-1 advantage for pitcher Corey Ramsey.
A two-RBI single by Gwaltney, a RBI double by Joey Andrews and a three-run homer courtesy of Kilbourne in the fifth pushed the lead to 12-2. That looked to be more than enough for Ramsey, who had been cruising on the mound.
The Raiders (3-3) responded, though, with a grand slam by Ryan Kontra in the bottom half of the inning, but that would be as close as they would get as the Warriors would go ahead 16-6 in the top of the seventh.
Atlee pinch hitter John Michael Sparagna would close out the scoring with a three-run homer in the bottom of the seventh.
“They played hard, played well,” said Atlee coach Will Hicks of his team which went 2-2. “We saw some things we need to work on but that is what this tournament is for.”
Matoaca coach Fred Stoots also thought the tournament served its purpose.
“It was good to play quality teams and to see quality baseball,” Stoots said. “I think it is good because you are playing good teams and throwing people who normally wouldn’t get the chance to pitch.”
Matoaca 303 061 3 – 16 11 3
Atlee 101 040 3 – 9 6 2
Kontra, Carter (3), Bettinger (6) and Sandefur; Ramsey, Peterson (5), Kilbourne (7) and Houck. W: Ramsey. L: Kontra.
Records: Matoaca (5-1); Atlee (3-3)
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