Sixth-inning rally lifts Bostick, Silverado to win over Grizzlies

But the senior right-hander never lost confidence in his teammates.

After leaving at least one runner in scoring position in each of the first five innings, the Skyhawks finally got clutch hits in the sixth, scoring four runs to defeat visiting Spring Valley, 4-2.

“I had faith in my team the whole time,” said Bostick, who allowed one earned run on five hits in six innings. “I’ve been pitching for a long time, and I know my team will usually come through for me.”

Bobby Johnson led off the sixth with a double and scored on an RBI single by Chris Adams. After a single by freshman Michael Meyers and a fielder’s choice, No. 9 hitter Tanner Dushane came through with a single to drive in the run that tied the score at 2.

One out later, Morgan Stott hit a pop fly to shallow center, but Spring Valley’s Jackson Morrow dropped the ball, allowing two runs to score.

“A couple of guys at the bottom (of the order) clutched up for us,” Silverado coach Brian Whitaker said. “That’s what it’s going to take. We’re definitely the kind of ballclub that’s going to need a different hero every day.”

The Skyhawks stranded seven runners in the first five innings, including six in scoring position. They had the bases loaded with no outs in the third and failed to score, as Spring Valley pitcher Aaron Blair got out of the jam with a double-play grounder and a pop fly.

“We had a lot of guys out there on the bases, but you’ve got to credit their guy for pitching out of trouble,” Whitaker said. “I really liked him. He was tough.”

Bostick had just one strikeout, but he pounded the strike zone and let his defense make plays. And he didn’t let the lack of run support get to him.

“He’s kind of a veteran high school guy and has some baseball savvy,” Whitaker said. “He never changed his demeanor in the dugout, even though he wasn’t getting any run support. I think other guys can learn from that.”

Adams, Dushane and Drew Robinson each had two hits for Silverado. Billy Bob Ward had two hits and an RBI for the Grizzlies.

It was the second straight late-game rally for Silverado. The Skyhawks scored two runs in the top of the seventh in the season opener Thursday to beat Bishop Gorman, the nation’s preseason No. 1 team according to Baseball America.

“It’s exciting. It’s a great way to get started,” Bostick said. “Gorman was a great game for the team. It boosted our team’s confidence a lot. I think that’ll pull through for a while for us.”