Just Barely

It’s not often the player with the game-winning hit in a game cleans up empty Gatorade bottles and athletic tape from the dugout after the game. Roey Sink of the Stanton Viqueens is the exception to this rule.

“It’s a seniority thing.” Sink explained, “We have to do what the older players say.”

The eighth grader came through with the game-winning hit with two outs in the top of the seventh as Stanton rallied to beat Essex 5-4 Friday. Sink’s two out single to center drove in Jordan Sorensen from third.

“She came up with a big, clutch hit,” Viqueen coach Shane Stephens said. “It’s something to be proud of, especially from an eighth grader.”

The Essex Trojanettes led from the second inning through the sixth, getting RBI hits from Jen Owen and Stephanie Robinson.

Essex pitcher Haley Fundermann worked out of a couple tight positions with runners in scoring position in the fifth and sixth innings and struck out the side in the top of the second.

“Haley handled herself well,” Essex Coach Denny Perry said about his eight hgrade pitcher. “She’s pretty tough.”

“We showed the character,” Coach Stephens (Viqueens) said, “the presence of mind to stay with it.”

Essex drops to 8 and 11 after the loss to Stanton, where they are in the middle of the pack in Corner Conference standings. Stanton stays atop the conference after the win.