Florida High, Maclay baseball showcase young squads in split decision following a late home run

After Maclay baseball's Henry Richardson saw a first-pitch fastball, he knew he had to get a hit if he got the same pitch.

Down by three runs to Florida High in the bottom of the seventh inning, the Marauders had two runners on base with two outs and Richardson at the plate. When the freshman got the same fastball, he didn't let it go by him this time.

"I took the first pitch which was right down the middle, so I knew I had to redeem myself," Richardson said through a wide smile. "I saw it coming, I trusted my hands and I knew it was gone off the bat."

Hitting a three-run home run to level the score, Richardson's blast gave Maclay enough to claim a 6-6 tie with Florida High on Thursday night, as extra innings were not played due to the field not having floodlights and daylight ending, much to the disappointment of both teams.

Richardson was set on the mound and throwing practice pitches while Maclay's (3-2-1) fielders were warming up while Florida High (3-3-1) prepared for at-bats, but the umpires called the game before any pitches were thrown.

"After that, I didn't think anything could stop me and I was back on the mound," Richardson said. "It's annoying, having a tie doesn't even feel like a win to be honest. But it was such a cool moment and a really cool moment."

The game-tying home run came after the Marauders battled back from four down in the seventh. Florida High had led the entire game, scoring three in the first and then adding three more over seven innings, but the last-inning flurry from Maclay was enough to tie the game up.

The two sides of the tie

The thrilling end brought out two different sets of emotions, but a similar message from both coaches.

For Florida High, it was a reminder of the stakes of baseball, and playing until the final out. Florida High head coach John Hollenbeck noted that he felt the performance up to the seventh inning was good, but the ending was a reminder of the importance of finishing the job.

"Having the game, you would think at hand, in the seventh inning with two outs, but the game's not over till the last out is called," Hollenbeck said. "In baseball, there's always a chance. You can't take a knee and you can't just delay the game, you've got to pitch and you've got to throw strikes and you've got to make outs all the way through the seventh inning."

A team with only two seniors and six juniors, a large portion of the Seminoles squad are underclassmen and are still adapting to the varsity level. Hollenbeck knew coming into the season he wanted his team to face big moments and strong squads in the regular season.

Playing in a tournament in Valdosta, Georgia to open up the season, facing teams like Oakleaf, Cario and St Johns County Day, Hollenbeck said the early season competition has given his group a good test and provided learning moments for the team.

"It's been very competitive for this young group. We got some growing pains and learning pains that we're going through and we've had a tough schedule," Hollenbeck said. "We're getting there. It's just about getting all the phases of the game together, from pitching, defense, the timely hits, and working for a run. You always think you've got enough runs, and then you don't, so you're always trying to work for that extra run."

Hollenbeck said the most important thing for his team early in the season is gaining confidence.

"I think once they gain confidence in getting their job done and doing their job, helping their teammates to put it all together, I think that that's when we're going to start to see some maturity with this young group," Hollenback said.

In the eyes of Maclay head coach Greg Mullins, the ending of the game showed his young team it can compete in big moments but also showcased things that Mullins thinks his team can improve on.

"I just told him flat out that I loved the finish," Mullins said. "We're the youngest team in town. They're young, but they're talented. We just got to get stronger, we got to get faster, and these moments are awesome for their learning curve. That teaches them to be tough. It teaches them not to give up at the end."

Having a small roster of 13 players, with one senior and one junior, the Marauders are filled with freshmen and sophomores who are talented, but also learning the game at the varsity level.

One of the difficulties that comes with the smaller roster is figuring out the pitching rotation. Mullins said going from college and professional ball where he has 12 pitchers at his disposal, to just having 12 players has taken some adaption.

Even in learning the new way of coaching with a smaller roster, Mullins said the challenge is exciting but also fills him with nerves.

"I come from college and from pro ball where you got 12 pitchers and now I'm down four and all of them are position players too," Mullins said. "It's just nerve-racking because I gotta know when to bring them in and if they've got enough throws in. So it's just very nerve-racking, I got to look at the game through a different lens."

With talented young players, the most important thing Mullins wants for his team is the ability to learn from mistakes.

Facing off with North Florida Christian, Port St. Joe, St. John Paul II and Florida High, the Marauders have had a couple of early season tests against some top teams.

"I'm overly excited, but I have to coach them hard. I let them know that even though you played them really great, you may have lost or you may have tied, so we've got to go over the mistakes first and foremost," Mullins said. "Then they have got to learn from those mistakes."

From the court to the diamond

Like many athletes at Florida High, junior Amare Robinson plays multiple sports for the Seminoles.

Just weeks removed from the basketball season, Robinson is back on the diamond for Florida High and is quickly becoming one of the team's most influential players. Going 3-for-4 with an RBI against Maclay, Robinson is adjusting to life on the baseball field quickly.

The first few games, they were kind of iffy," Robinson said on his adjustment. "But once I got one hit, I just really got back into a rhythm."

One of the veterans of the squad, Robinson has become a leader for the Seminoles squad. Even though he's just returned to the team following the end of the hoops season, Robinson is hoping to make an impact with the young Seminoles squad.

"I'm just getting back into it," Robinson said. "I really just like to spread my positivity around and keep the guys up and just be that bigger role model for them."

Liam Rooney covers preps sports for the Tallahassee Democrat. Contact him via email at LRooney@gannett.com or on Twitter @__liamrooney

This article originally appeared on Tallahassee Democrat: Florida High, Maclay baseball tie game after 7th inning comeback