<\/div>\n<\/p>\n
The running joke between Millikan coach Scott Glasser and Poly coach Toby Hess was that when their two squads met, the first team to one run would come out on top—that held true in their first meeting of the season, as Millikan rode a Poly mistake and an impressive performance from Rams junior pitcher Josh Frye to a 2-0 win. <\/span><\/p>\n At first it looked like the scoring might start early, as Millikan put two runners on in the top of the first (preseason All-American Jon Singleton was walked, a sight we’ll likely have to get used to), and then Poly’s Mario Gordon hit Cody Hazel between the shoulder blades, sending him to first. <\/span>However, Gordon got out of trouble by getting Emmy Antoneras to pop out. <\/span>Poly got two men on as well, after leadoff hitter Jeff Turley singled on a swinging bunt, and Frye walked Kevin Nanbara—but he, too, got the third out on a pop, leaving the score at doughnuts after one, with four runners stranded.<\/p>\n In the top of the second, Millikan got all they needed—Gordon walked Andrew Culver, who was moved to second on a sac bunt by Paul Slater—then Brandon Dopplick singled to move Culver to third. <\/span>Then, Culver attempted to steal home—Poly’s catcher Nikko Santos had him at the plate, but the ball flew out of his glove after the contact, scoring Culver as Dopplick moved to third. <\/span>Dopplick came home after Brandon Sadler singled. <\/span>Gordon got out of the inning after getting Matthew Clampitt to ground out, but the damage was done.<\/p>\n Once he got his rhythm and the confidence of a few runs on his side, Frye burned through the Poly lineup. <\/span>The ‘Rabbits had four batters in the third, and were three-up\/three-down in the fourth through seventh innings, as Fry pitched a complete game shutout, allowing just four hits to a Poly team that looks like it might struggle to put runs up this year, with a talented but very young roster. <\/span>Poly coach Toby Hess acknowledged that difficulty after the game. <\/span>“It’s nothing different than what we expected,” he said.<\/p>\n Frye struck out four and walked two to give his team a 1-0 start in a crucial opening day matchup. <\/span>“I thought he was very poised,” said Millikan’s Glasser. <\/span>“He made a lot of clutch pitches.”<\/p>\n “Frye was outstanding,” said Hess. <\/span>“Mario [Gordon] wasn’t any different, we just made the mistake.” <\/span>Gordon finished with one earned run allowed on five hits.<\/p>\n Millikan will face a Wilson squad who’s fresh off a tough loss to Lakewood in the second game of yesterday’s doubleheader on Thursday, at Blair at 6:30pm. <\/span>Before that, Poly will square off against Jordan, in the Panthers’ first league contest at 3:30pm.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" We knew it would be a defensive battle, and that’s how it shook out as Millikan topped Poly 2-0 on opening 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