Hammer is Back with 4-1 Win Over Somers

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On Monday April 21, John Jay hosted Somers, and the teams were more than familiar with each other. “We’ve been playing them since we were eight years old,” said Mitch Hammer. So rivalry was an understatement, and a quick 1-0 first inning lead put John Jay in position to respond or succumb to the drama.

Up to the task, the Wolves tied in the bottom of the first, scored three in the third and went onto a 4-1 victory with inspired pitching from their starter. “I’ve been working for that for two years” said the senior after missing all of last year.

The Wolf did start off a little rough around the edges, though. On the first pitch, Hammer was a bit too inside and hit Tyler Venturini.

Next the Tusker stole second, and a wild pitch put the runner on third. But Hammer steadied and got Alex Hoffman on strikes. Still, Pat Bracelin’s fly to left pushed the run across, and the game was on.

Taking the mound, Ryan McAuley came out on target. He got Jacob Storch on strikes and then fielded a comebacker by Will Civetta.

So the Wolves made it hurt with two. Nolan Rhodes singled to center, Denker reached on an error at short, and Elliot Arbogast tied the score with a single to right.

Onto the second, Hammer didn’t sail through again. After getting Lorenzo D’Ambrosio on a pop to third, Andrew Kapica reached on an infield single, and Joe Dwyer singled to right.

First and third, the hammer came down nonetheless. In between a walk to Venturini, the Wolf kept Somers off balance and got a pair of strikeouts by mixing his repertoire.

Fastballs and curveballs, his counterpart wasn’t going away either. Despite one out singles by Steve Carozo and Sam Rickel, McAuley was able to close out the inning and preserve the tie.

Of course the dual continued, and Hammer wasn’t above accepting some help from his friends. On Jack Hopper’s sinking line drive to open the inning, Sam Rickel was light on his feet and came up with a diving catch.

A good view at first, his brother wasn’t so sure. “Maybe, the dive was a little unnecessary,” Will Rickel had some fun with his brother.

Good for the out either way, Hammer left no doubt by sending up a couple of easy fly balls, and the bats were back in the hands of his teammates. Patience was up first, though, and had Rhodes work a walk.

In keeping, Denker stayed small. With Nolan running, the left fielder hit a high bouncer and beat the throw at first. A fly out by Arbogast maintained the status quo, but Will Rickel upset it right back by being ahead of the curve.

Seeing McAuley throw mostly first pitch fastballs, the first baseman wasn’t waiting like his first at bat. “I see my runners in scoring position,” he said. “I’m like, alright, let’s go, let’s do this. So I got some good BTB. Bat the ball and you know it’s history.”

On point, Rickel hit a sinking line drive that got under Justin Thomas’ glove in left. He gave chase, and Nolan came all the way around to give Jay the lead.

Up next, Luke Fisch was about to make the most of getting a start at DH, and in doing so, he really made McAuley put in the work. Fouling off multiple pitches, Fisch kept his eye and worked a 3-2 count. “I kept battling,” said the sophomore, and he was eventually rewarded with ball four.

Drawing cheers from the bench, Carozo stayed within himself too. After run number three came in on a wild pitch, and the catcher lifted a sacrifice fly to pad the lead.

4-1 now, Somers hoped to answer. and D’Ambrosia did his part with a lead off single. In turn, Hammer’s response was sort of up in the air in the estimation of Fisch. “I visibly see him levitate,” said the DH, and the Tuskers were forced to sit back down on a fly out and two more strikeouts.

Still, Hammer was no one man show. In the fifth, Civetta scooped a scorcher by Venturini, and Storch ranged deep into the second base hole to stop Bracelin’s bouncer. His throw up the right field line, Will Rickel had the stretch, maintained his footing and Hammer hit the nail on the head in terms of his defense. “I love these guys. I don’t want anyone else out there,” he boasted.

The game still not over, Hammer issued a walk to start the seventh. Two straight balls on the next batter was no relief either, but Hammer kept the bullpen seated.

A fly ball and two strikeouts to end the game, Hammer had Civetta singing five wins in the last six games. “The boys are back in town,” he concluded.