Trailing West Essex 4-1 in the bottom of the third inning, Chatham High School (N.J.) exploded for six runs, highlighted by a three-run home run by junior Tyler Jacobs that helped fuel a 15-5 six-inning comeback mercy victory Friday at home.
Thank you for reading this post, don't forget to subscribe!Additionally, Jacobs hit for the cycle with a triple in the second frame, a single in the fourth, and a double in the sixth, along with three RBI. It was the first cycle while head coach Todd Leathers has been at the helm in his 11 years at Chatham, he noted.
“I knew I had it,” Jacobs said of the double that he hit in his final at bat for the cycle. “I just waited for the spinner and drove it in the gap to right field.”
The Cougars (6-2) tacked on three runs in the bottom of the fourth inning, two more in the fifth, and three in the sixth to cap the mercy win.
After pounding out a 13-0 victory over Sparta Wednesday, Leathers said its impressive offensive barrage bled into today’s game versus the Knights.
“It’s just hits. We’ve been swinging the bats really, really well, from top to bottom,” Leathers explained. “I said the other day, I thought it was the best overall team hitting experience we’ve had against Sparta in my years. It was just quality at-bats against a good pitcher, and we carried it over today. But this team doesn’t quit, they just keep going. We swung it, and when we got hot, we kept going.”
Senior Luke Leskaukas launched a three-run jack to left field to swell the Cougars’ advantage to 10-5 in the bottom of the fourth frame before they put the opposition to bed in the final two innings of the contest.
Starting pitcher Jack Hadzima surrendered three runs in 1.1 innings of work before senior Justin Zigon relived him and allowed a run in two frames. Senior Caden Gabriele came in and fired three effective innings of one-run ball to lock down the victory.
Junior Luca Russo stroked 3-4 with a walk and two RBI, while Junior leftfielder Drew Speace went 2-4 with a ringing double.
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