“I’m going to hit a home run this game,” freshman Nate Jakobs said before he and the Cavs left for Roseville to take on league powerhouse, the Valley Christian Academy Lions.
But he was just kidding.
So when the Cavs lost to the Lions, 8-1, on May 3, Jakobs was not surprised, mainly due to the pitching talent they faced.
The Lions’ starting pitcher was senior Grant Woodside.
“(Woodside) was throwing in the low to mid 80s, and we have been facing mostly 60 to 70 mph,” Jakobs said.
The game looked promising for the Cavs. They took a one-run lead in the first when junior Aidan Cunningham was walked with bases loaded, bringing junior Emil Erickson home.
But that would be the only run the Cavs scored all game.
However, the Cavs held the Lions scoreless in the bottom of the first, making them go three-and-out.
The second is where it started going downhill for the boys. Three out of the four batters struck out swinging, with Erickson getting to base only by a hit pitch.
Then the Lions started picking up momentum. They had back-to-back singles, eventually putting up two runs.
The third was more of the same for both teams. The Cavs went scoreless, while the Lions put up two more, obtaining the expected, sizable lead.
But the fourth wasn’t like the previous. It was better: for the Lions, of course.
Once again, the Cavs posted a no-run inning and the Lions furthered their lead, putting up three runs and further crushing the Cavs’ hopes of taking down the league titans.
After three more scoreless innings from the Cavs, the Lions finished with another run at the bottom of the sixth.
Senior Jacob Sands attributed the loss to superior offensive execution by the Lions.
“We were unable to hit the ball better than Valley,” Sands said. “Other than that, our fielding was pretty good this game.”
Despite the demoralizing loss, Jakobs said he was proud.
“We played our best game of the year,” Jakobs said. “We played good defense, for the most part, led by quite a few skillful plays in left(field) by (Cunningham).”
The Cavs will have another chance to dethrone the kings when they face off against the Lions on Friday, May 6, at home at McAuliffe Field.
—By Jake Longoria
