Written by Kathryn Burke, Staff Writer
Saturday, February 19th, baseball had a home game against Shadow Hills, showing up and showing out!
Our varsity baseball played an amazing game Saturday, winning 3-0. Starting off strong, the first inning consisted of Poly’s pitcher, Danny Bedford (21), striking players out. When Poly was on offense, Matthew Henry (3) had an amazing bat, making it to second base. Gavin Malmberg (11) with another good bat, made it to first with Henry rushing home. With Keaton Pilliter (22) stepping to the bat, the crowd of parents and peers were already certain of the outcome of the game with how things were running; he caused the crowd to erupt with cheers with a strong swing before getting tagged out.
Within the second and third inning, Poly’s offense and defense were still exceptional. Bedford had an amazing arm, striking out opponents one after the other. Offense also went well with Malmberg reaching home again and Pilliter (22) staying on second; only three innings so far and the score was already 2-0.
In the fourth inning, Andrew Mondt (5) made it to second base after Ben Solis (27) bunts the ball. Before Maddox Hackworth (4) strikes the ball, Mondt inches closer towards third base. Hackworth (4) then bats, reaching first base with Mondt just barely making it to third base. With an already worried crowd, Shadow Hill’s pitcher attempts to get out Hackworth (4) by throwing the ball to first; he fails which gave Mondt the opportunity to rush home and leave the crowd in disbelief. The score was now 3-0.
The next three innings all demonstrated the technique and hard work our athletes have developed with amazing batters and an even better line of defense. With every swing Shadow Hills threw, Poly fired right back with amazing communication and teamwork between the players and succeeded in striking the players out every time. Throughout this, the athletes showed a very positive mindset and encouraged each other and kept the energy high.
Malmberg was pulled aside to get a little insight on what was going through his head after Poly’s win. He described the game as “starting off hot” and felt good about the game thus far while hyping his teammate up for “being great on the mound not allowing a run.” Within two minutes of speaking to him, it was very clear that he is a team-oriented player and loves the community and memories built from the shared experience. Malmberg shared his excitement coming into the game as he simply wanted to “have fun and get a win.” He believes that wins act as a confidence booster for the team, but that losses are a “part of growth [and] something to learn from.”
After Matt Henry(3) made it to home base, he was asked to share his thoughts on the game. He felt that it was a “great win on a home opener to set the game” and was making the team ecstatic. He admitted that even though the wins felt good, having a “whatever happened, happened” mindset during losses is crucial to help let go from the past and “focus more on the future to avoid the same mistakes.” Henry was visibly a hard worker with lots of energy and presence on the field, and seeing his hard work pay off makes him appreciate the practices and technique he has acquired.
After the game Mondt was asked about his attitude towards the game, especially after being one of the players to reach home base. He shared that the excitement, relief, and pride present for all players acted as a “good booster for the team.” Although this game was a “must-win”, determining if they continued with the season, he expressed that it “still felt good to get the win.” Throughout the game and speaking to the players, it was clear that they all valued the wins but that it is best, as Mondt puts it, to “learn from [losses] and move on quickly.”
After the game, Coach Emert was asked a series of questions followed around his priorities with his players. He shared that during practice it is important to “pay attention to all the small details”, such as team defense, while also maintaining a good “moral structure.” With any sport, there are ups and downs with the performances, but Emert assures that “a lot of learning comes from failure” and notes that “as long as [they] mature there is more to learn from losses than wins”. With that, the players have demonstrated that they find motivation in one another and have chosen to seek success as a group rather than individually. Emert wishes for a championship this season, but more importantly to contribute to teaching these boys to be “amazing men in society, good husbands, and good fathers.”
With another win under their belts, the team will continue to work diligently with the goal of reaching this year’s championship competition. With such an experienced team, there is little doubt that they will at least make it quite far into their season and demonstrate their prowess at every match. Regardless of how events turn out, one thing is for certain: the family that is varsity boys baseball will always be there for each other.