Unbelievable! Myers Park stages comeback to edge South Meck in conference title game
Myers Park was fired up.
It didn’t matter that the Mustangs fell behind by five runs early in their remarkable 7-6 win on Thursday night. They were getting hammered by South Mecklenburg’s hot bats and stellar arms, just as they did last week.
But trailing 6-1 entering the sixth inning, Myers Park brought four runs across and made it a one-run ballgame. South Meck appeared to add an insurance run in the top of the seventh, but the score was negated after a lengthy umpire discussion.
Senior catcher Sam Barber started the bottom of the seventh with a leadoff single, and the Mustangs soon tied the game on a slow roller. The finish was as dramatic as it gets.
The Sabres turned to hard-throwing senior Louis Hill, and he got Myers Park left fielder Price Bailey to strike out. That brought the leadoff man, senior first baseman Bo Aluise, to the plate with the bases loaded and two outs in a tie game.
“One of the craziest games I’ve ever played, for sure,” an elated Aluise said after recording the walk-off hit. “We just don’t give up no matter what. This is the closest team I’ve ever been on. We’ve just got each other’s backs at all times. We’re just always there for each other.”
Aluise’s game-winning RBI came with a 3-2 count. It had been packed throughout the warm night at Jack Sink Field, and in one of the most improbable of fashions, it was still the home crowd that went home happy.
“That’s baseball for you,” Myers Park coach Erik Foor said. “Bo Aluise had a phenomenal day. He’s been a cornerstone at first base with his defensive fielding percentage of 1.000, and at the top of our lineup, he gets on and is a good threat on the bases.”
Myers Park (19-5), which opened the season as the area’s top-ranked team, returned to the conference title game after sophomore John Person tossed a no-hitter against Palisades.
The Mustangs, who currently find themselves at No. 6 in The Charlotte Observer’s latest Sweet 16 poll, were down early against eighth-ranked South Meck.
Three who made a difference
Cole Gillis, South Meck: The senior who will play collegiate ball at Emory and Henry College had a strong start for the Sabres, holding Myers Park to a run on four hits over four innings. He also fielded his position well — even snagging a comebacker in the fourth inning.
Max Perry, Myers Park: The Virginia Military Institute signee made a web gem fielding a ground ball at second base in the fourth and helped the Mustangs cut into the deficit late. He roped an RBI double in the fifth that drove in two, then dashed home from third on a passed ball to make it 6-5.
Bo Aluise, Myers Park: The walk-off hero played a huge role in the Mustangs’ offense throughout the game, including a double that started the bottom of the first inning, from which he scored what was Myers Park’s only run for much of the night.
Worth noting
▪ Senior right-hander William Greenway pitched three solid innings for Myers Park, surrendering three runs on two hits.
▪ The Sabres beat the Mustangs in a 7-0 shutout last Tuesday. They met again three days later, and Myers Park came from behind in a 2-1 victory.
▪ Myers Park defeated Ardrey Kell, 4-1, in last year’s SoMECK conference title game.
They said it
“We were so hyped up for this game. We were so hyped up, that we came out a little nervous, a little shaken up. But we just settled down. And we just never gave up. It was just a really fun game.” — Bo Aluise
Up next?
Brackets for the NCHSAA baseball tournament will be released on Monday. First-round matchups are set to begin Tuesday.
