When you have the pitching that Miller has sometimes it boils down to just finding patience at the plate for the knockout punch. While the Mavericks got off to an early lead in their VISAA Division 2 quarterfinal against Christchurch, they had just three hits through four innings of work, and that was thanks in large part to a lot of well hit balls to some deeply positioned outfielders. But after a pitching change by the Seahorses in the fifth, the Mavericks simply watched their way to a routing. While Miller’s pitching staff combined for 14 strike outs on the day, Christchurch saw its staff walk or hit eight batters in the last two innings of the game. As a result, while hardly in a glamorous way at least offensively, the Mavericks cruised to an 8-1 win over the Seahorses in their home finale.
“We struggled early to get that elusive hit but Jackson Barrett came up with a big hit (in the fifth) that kind of broke it open and gave us some breathing room.” said Miller coach Billy Wagner. “(Our three pitchers) were pretty good. I’m going to miss them next year. You don’t have that luxury often and when you can go to those guys that’s what you do.”
Mike Dailey got the start for Miller and threw five innings giving up just five hits while striking out nine batters. The Seahorses weren’t able to get to him until the fifth when they scored on an error. The senior starter also had a solid day at the plate going 2 for 3 — the only player for Miller with multiple hits on the day. His leadoff triple in the bottom of second set up Connor Gillespie with an RBI ground out and after Brook Henley hit a double in the next at-bat, Ethan Murray came through with an RBI double to make it 2-0.
“That was huge knowing that we could get on (and the bottom of order) could come through,” Dailey said. “One through nine, we try and pressure you.”
Things were awfully quiet from there with Dailey and Christchurch starter Willis Mackey Jr. consistently retiring batters until the Seahawks made a change in the fifth.
“My slider was working today,” Dailey said. “The last couple of games it’s been hanging but today I found my arm slot and it really worked. They were swinging and missing.”
Miller made it 4-1 there with Jackson Barrett hitting an RBI single after back-to-back walks and then Jack Morris delivering an a sacrifice fly.
In the sixth Morris came on in relief of Dailey and retired the side in order with a pair of strikeouts. The Mavericks then stepped up to the plate and scored four runs on three walks, an error a single from Johnny Wood and an RBI single from Dailey to make it an 8-1 game.
In the top of the seventh Jacob Rich took the mound to close things out and did so by striking out three of the four batters he faced.
With the win Miller heads to the Division 2 semifinals to face Atlantic Shores in Colonial Heights at Shepherd Stadium on Friday at 11 a.m. It is the second straight trip to the final four for the Mavericks. Gillespie stands in line to start with both Morris and Rich available to provide relief.
“(Today) set us up pretty good,” Wagner said. “We have Gillespie for Friday and still everybody available. It was a good collective game for us all.”
