Blue Wave Baseball Rolls Past Oak Hall for 4th Straight Win

 P.K. Yonge Blue Wave baseball continued to roll Tuesday night in extending its winning streak to four games with a 7-1 victory against the Oak Hall Eagles (2-4).

On a windy night with alumni in the crowd at Bobby Hawkins Field, the Blue Wave were confident entering the matchup following a dominant 16-2 victory against Crescent City (2-7) in their previous outing. That momentum carried over into the opening frame.

The Blue Wave (6-2) opened the game playing aggressively. Matt Knott (2-0) started on the mound, tossing a quick inning to set the tone. In the bottom half, Colt Kramer reached third base with a triple and scored on a passed ball.

 The Blue Wave capitalized on Oak Hall errors later in the inning to take a 2-0 lead. Cooper Schackow contributed an RBI single.

Knott dominated for the majority of his start, striking out six batters in a scoreless four-inning effort to earn his second win of the season. He was equally effective at the plate, reaching base in all three of his plate appearances to help his own cause.

“He throws a lot of strikes; not a lot of walks with him, so I like him in this spot,” P.K. Yonge coach Rob Brunson said.

The Blue Wave extended the lead with two RBIs from Nico Wheeler on a single in the fourth inning. After a grueling eight-pitch at-bat in which he worked a full count, Wheeler lined a single into the outfield to drive in the two runs.

Noah Grogan replaced Knott on the mound in the fifth and pitched into the seventh inning, striking out three and allowing just a run on two hits and two walks. 

The Blue Wave added three insurance runs in the final two innings, utilizing wild pitches and a relentless base running game. P.K. Yonge finished with four stolen bases, emphasizing the aggressive baserunning that has defined its recent stretch.

Charlie Tumminia, who has filled the role of closer, shut the door in the seventh to secure the victory after striking out the two batters he faced to register the save.

Since the team’s 13-1 loss at Newberry on Feb. 19, Brunson and the coaching staff have emphasized playing smart, calculated baseball. That focus has been evident throughout the current four-game surge.

“We gotta keep pitching well and can’t have walks, so throw strikes and keep the ball in play,” Brunson said.

The Blue Wave continue their homestand at 7 p.m. Wednesday against Hawthorne (4-5), a team they defeated earlier in the season on the road.

Category: High School Sports, PK Yonge High School