Rams hammered by Williams Field in 15-5 loss

354
After a 10-4 loss to Arcadia earlier in the week, Maricopa was hoping to get back on the winning track, but several miscues got in the way.
 
Despite a 15-5, run-shortened, six inning loss to Williams Field on Thursday, the Rams were able to stay close before the Black Hawks pulled away.
 
“Bottom line is that we have to play better,” said Rams coach Daron Connelly. “We’re a better team than what we showed (on Thursday). At times, we’re impatient at the plate and other times we will take some great at-bats. It seems like we are taking bad at-bats into the fields with us.”
 
When Maricopa was patient at the plate, they were able to get runners on against Williams Field pitcher Nic Martino and move them into scoring position.
 
However, Williams Field, who leads the Power Rankings after the win, had everything working in its favor.
 
The Black Hawks wasted no time getting to Rams’ pitcher J.C. Seymore when shortstop Drew Wahlers hit the second pitch he saw for a homerun over the left center wall for a 2-0 lead. Williams Field added another run later in the inning for a 3-0 lead.
 
Maricopa was able to get to Martino finally in the second inning, when Kolter Hunt singled for the Rams. 
 
Justin Warren doubled after working Martino in to a 3-2 count into right field that went over the outstretched glove of Black Hawk Jamison Gardner’s glove and against the fence, scoring Hunt.
 
Warren then scored to cut the lead to 3-2 when Ryan Sarver flew out to left field.
 
“Usually we are a good, tough team and we don’t give up mentally,” said Rams’ shortstop A.J. Beltran, who finished 3-for-3 with a run scored. “It seemed we let off a little bit and that is uncharacteristic of all the guys we have playing together.”
 
Maricopa kept the game close through their half of the third inning and cut the lead to 5-4 when Seymore helped his own cause with a two run single.
 
But Williams Field outscored the Rams 10-1 over the next three innings, chasing Seymore out of the game in the fifth inning. Joey Kelly relieved him and finished the game.
 
With plenty of the season left, Maricopa is looking to get back into their winning ways and Connelly believes they can make a run through the East Sky Region. 
 
“Everybody’s going to be coming out, I don’t care who it is,” Connelly said. “The team that is in last place in this region can jump up and bite you. This was going to be a big week for us and we have a lot of season left.”
 
Photo by Ash Friederich