On Wednesday, May 8 the Carlmont varsity baseball team defeated the Terra Nova Tigers, also celebrating the Scots’ 11 seniors.
The season has seen the Scots bring in 9 league wins and four league losses, putting them at second place in league, just behind Menlo School.
The win on Wednesday secured this spot and continued their season with the final league home game.
Daniel Friis, a senior and catcher, said, “This season has been different because we have faced some adversity in a few different ways. Before we have had a smoother path, but this year we had to put up with injuries and tough opponents.”
The game started off with a slow defensive game, with a few hits off of Jason Korjeff, a senior and pitcher, but eventually, the first inning only came to one run scored on Korjeff.
The top of the second inning sped the pace up a bit, with two pop flies caught by Jake Robinson, a senior outfielder and pitcher, and Mateos Melkesian, a junior and outfielder. Sean Vanderaa, a senior and shortstop, rounded up three outs by tagging out a runner stealing second.
“Our biggest defensive strength was taking care of the ball. Usually, when we have a lot of errors that’s when we start struggling, but on days like today when we take care of the ball, we are successful,” Friis said.
The Scots’ offensive game also started off weak, with a lack of directional hitting, with two caught pop flies in the bottom of the first inning.
Tyler DeSmidt, a senior and third baseman, said, “Our weakest [offensive] aspect would be our situational hitting. We struggled to get runners into good positions as a team. This is something that we are going to have to work on if we expect to win tight games.”
Carlmont changed course in the bottom of the second inning, with a single, double, RBI, sac fly, and successful bundt leading to the Scots prevailing over the Tigers 3-1.
After a quick third inning, the top of the fourth exposed some defensive mistakes for the Scots with a fielding error, but the bottom of the fourth brought the score up to 4-2 Carlmont.
Korjeff tired out by the sixth inning, causing the Scots to bring in Robinson to relieve.
The Scots held Terra Nova back, with no runners getting on base in the seventh inning, with the final score 5-3 Carlmont.
This season has evolved Carlmont baseball and it’s players through the injuries and tough games they pushed through.
Kevin Shea, a junior and second baseman, said, “This year we made huge strides in our chemistry. Every day I felt that we walked off the field better than when we walked on. I haven’t felt that way about any other year.”
The senior Scots have evolved a lot since freshman year, on and off the field.
“I can’t imagine what my high school experience would have been without baseball. It has let me come out of my shell I was in freshman year and opened up my experience to meet so many new people. These seniors mean everything to me,” Korjeff said.
The juniors on baseball realize that next year they will be without the seniors and that they will be the leaders.
“The seniors on my team are like family to me. They are all my role models and I look at all the examples they have shown me and realize how much of my improvement I owe to them. Next year will be the first year I don’t have my boys to go war with two times a week. It’s up to the juniors to do our best to replicate the leadership they have shown us,” Shea said.
Carlmont baseball is losing some great players, but the program will forever hold a special place in the seniors’ hearts.
Friis said, “The seniors are really important to me because they have become some of my closest friends. We have been through a lot as a group, and over time we have turned into a tight group. I have met some of my best friends through playing Carlmont baseball, and I am going to miss them a lot.”
Karen Deanna Friis • May 13, 2019 at 4:23 pm
Nicely written article Kathryn! Truly captures the connection and energy this team carries!