Wilson High School will add another alumni/professional athlete to its list this summer when Bruin Aaron Hicks gets drafted in the Major League Baseball draft.  He will likely be a top ten pick for his .500 batting average and blazing speed, but on Wednesday night at Blair Field he showed the scouts his skill on the bump. He handed Lakewood (20-11, 11-1) its first Moore League defeat of the season, 5-0, striking out 12 and taking a no-hitter into the final inning.

Hicks got Miguel Beltran to pop it up behind second with two outs in the final inning, but a lot of wind and very little communication saw the ball land amidst a three Bruins.  The first and only hit for the Lancers was almost immediately followed by David Peters flying out to right field, and Hicks walking off the shutout winner.

Even though Lakewood already had the Moore League title wrapped up, Wilson coach Andy Hall told his team they needed this rivalry game for momentum going into the playoffs.  And that the best way to do that’s to out hit the Lancers.

The Bruins (24-5-1, 10-2) did that with 13 knocks, but they only needed Ryan Endres RBI single in the second inning, as Hicks allowed one other base runner on a walk, and only two balls were hit out of the infield.
In the bullpen before the game Hicks was throwing strikes and said he felt good.  It showed early, as he struck out the side in the second inning with 11 pitches.  Zach Wilson padded the lead in the top of the third with a two-run homer, his league leading fifth on the season.

The tens of scouts behind the plate watched Hicks keep the powerful Lancer lineup on its heels, mixing in his fastball, and making knees buckle with his breaking ball.  In the top of the seventh, Hicks kept a rally going with a bunt single.  He then put on his maroon warm-up jacket, stole second, advanced to third on a fielder’s choice, and scored on a sac-fly off the bat of Jesse Vansickle to make it 5-0 Wilson.

When Beltran came to the plate as Lakewood’s last hope for a hit in the bottom of the inning, the stands rose in anticipation. And everyone thought the ball hit high in the air would wrap up the almost perfect night for Hicks, but that’s just baseball.

Lakewood starter Matt Johnson, who dominated the Bruin lineup last month, got touched up on Wednesday, but that’s just baseball.  And now the Lancers and Bruins head into the CIF Southern Section playoffs as favorites, with a rubber match a realistic possibility.  

That’s just Moore League baseball.