Walsh and Knights fall to Indiana Bulls
GLENDALE, Wis. (BVM) 鈥� Coming off a 6-5 loss to the Georgia Team Elite 17U team, the Louisiana Knights tried to get back in the win column in the 2021 Geico Baseball City Series in their day two matchup with the Indiana Bulls.聽
Alex Walsh took the mound for the Knights, and he started off on the right foot, striking out the leadoff hitter. But after a hit batter, a single and an error by the second baseman, the Bulls gained a one-run lead.聽
鈥淸I] wanted to get ahead early,鈥� Knights starting pitcher Alex Walsh said. 鈥淸I] wanted to keep them from barreling the ball up and try to get weak outs.鈥�
That鈥檚 all Walsh would surrender as the Knights were turned away in their half of the first inning. Following a 1-2-3 inning, Walsh opened up the scoring in the second inning by driving in catcher Caleb Webb.聽
鈥淸I just] tried to help myself out,鈥� Walsh said. 鈥淸When I鈥檓 at the plate] I try to do everything I can to put some runs on the board.
Walsh would again take the mound in the top frame of the third inning and retire the Indiana Bulls in order. The Knights would take the lead in the bottom of the third inning thanks to a double by the University of Louisiana-Lafayette commit Caleb Stelly.聽
In the fourth, the Bulls would even up the score after a costly pickoff move from Walsh got by first baseman Dominic Jackson and the runner advanced to third base. The Bulls would tie the game thanks to a sac-fly from third baseman Aidyn Coffee.聽聽
No runs would come across in the fifth inning, but the Bulls would finally do some significant damage in the sixth. With two runners on and one out on, Aideyn Coffee doubled and brought in two runs. That would be it for Walsh, and he finished 6.1 innings pitched, three strikeouts and three earned runs. Relief pitcher Kobe Wiggins replaced Walsh and got the Knights out of the inning.
The Knights wouldn鈥檛 score in the sixth, and Wiggins would hold the Bulls at bay in the top half of the seventh.聽
Louisiana would bring one more run across the plate in the bottom of the seventh but would leave the bases loaded and take its second straight loss in the tournament.
But it鈥檚 not all about winning and losing. Sometimes it鈥檚 about gaining experience and competing against some of the best high school players in the country. And for Alex Walsh, this was his first Geico Baseball City Series experience.
鈥淚t鈥檚 a good event,鈥� Walsh said. 鈥淚 like it [a lot].鈥�
Now with summer winding down and school starting back up, Walsh and his teammates will head back to their respective high schools to compete for a state title. But nothing beats the competitive spirit of summer ball.聽
鈥淚t鈥檚 definitely more competitive in the summer because everybody [we] play is the best [or one of the best] on their high school team,鈥� Walsh said. 鈥淸Now I] just gotta bring everything I鈥檓 doing here back to the high school mound.鈥�
The Knights will face off against the Wisconsin Hitters at 3 p.m. CST at Raiders Stadium on Friday.