On Thursday, March 7, the Seminole Ridge High School baseball team hosted Santaluces High School in a non-district game and suffered their first loss of the season to the Chiefs 3-0. Seminole Ridge (5-1) had plenty of opportunity to close the margin, but a small collection of errors made the difference in the contest.
The Hawks played solid defensively early on, with a double-play, but the Chiefs (2-3) did just enough to notch the game’s first run to lead 1-0 by the end of the first inning. Santaluces added to that lead in the top of the fourth inning with an RBI triple after both teams struggled offensively for two innings.
Seminole Ridge connected with the ball on occasion, but a Santaluces double-play was the key factor in the inning.
In the fifth inning, Mark Link hit a double down deep left-center for the Hawks, but with two outs, the play would not amount to any runs, and Santaluces kept its 2-0 advantage.
In the top of the sixth inning, Hawk errors helped Chief runners on first and third, which eventually extended the Santaluces lead to 3-0. Seminole Ridge buckled down defensively to get to their chance at the plate. Again, the Hawks put runners on the field but could not close the margin by the end of the sixth inning.
The Hawks’ Andrew Dutil struck a line drive down left center to grab a single with two outs in the team’s final chance to rally, but again, they were unable to capitalize and fell 3-0 to the Chiefs. Eric Weiss pitched a complete game for the Hawks.
The following evening, the Hawks defeated crosstown rival and district foe Wellington high School 9-8.
The Hawks had games against Kiski, Pa., and district rival Royal Palm Beach High School this week, but results were not available by press time.
