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With the snowy weather causing school cancelations at the beginning of March, the Patrick Henry baseball team entered their first game of the season on Wednesday night against Henrico a little short on ordinary training. With few practices and no scrimmages played, Patriots’ head coach Sam Hart was concerned how his players would perform against a good Warriors’ team.  “We didn’t know what to expect tonight,” Hart said.

On the other hand, though they were taking to the field for the first time, the Patriot players said they weren’t really edgy over the lack of preparation.  “Not nervous,” said senior pitcher Derrick Brewer. “Maybe just a little more anxious coming in, you know, ‘I don’t know what’s going to happen.’”

In the end, most of Patrick Henry’s anxieties were calmed and some questions answered. Though nearly 10 months had passed sense the Patriots made a surprising run to last year’s regional semifinals, there was no indication that their bats took a rest during the off season. Seemingly picking up right where they left off at the end of last year, Patrick Henry got four home runs from four different players on way to a 15-5, five-inning romp over the Warriors.
“We’ve got some seniors that we need them to produce, and of course they did tonight,” Hart said. “Taylor (Seay; 2 for 2, 2-run HR, 5 RBI) had a good ball game, and Kyle (Stanley; 2 for 3, 2-run HR, 3 runs). Reid (Berry) comes in and pinch hits a three run home run. It was a good night.”

Taking the mound for the first time this season, Brewer was a little shaky at the start, walking Henrico’s leadoff hitter Paul Bateera. But the Patriots’ ace seemed to settle in and took out the next three Warrior batters.

However, the opening game jitters were apparent when Bateera took the mound for Henrico in the bottom of the inning. Brewer led things off for the Patriots with a single to center then successfully stole second. Bateera then walked Brian Collins and Stanley to load the bases. A sacrifice to center by Seay sent Brewer home and put the Patriots up 1-0 after one.

Brewer and the Patrick Henry defense took down the lineup in order in the top of the second. In the bottom of the inning, D.J. Martinez led off for the Patriots with a blistering liner off the glove of Henrico third baseman Jordan Doggett for a single. Martinez stole second then advanced to third when Brewer sent a grounder past shortstop Michael Mansfield. A baulk from Bateera then sent Martinez across the plate for a 2-0 Patriot lead.

In the third Brewer appeared to have found his groove, taking down the Henrico order once again and Patrick Henry threatened to break the game open in the bottom of the inning. Stanley reached first on a single up the middle then Seay came to the plate and blasted a shot over the fence in center for a 4-0 lead.
However, as good as things were going to Brewer in early innings, the top of the fourth was a shaking one on the mound for the senior. Landon led the Warriors attack with a double down the third base line. Then Mansfield trimmed the Patriots’ lead in half by sending a shot over the center field fence.

With one out, Brewer walked Cody Spain then it was Nick Toombs turn to send a shot out of the park, knotting the game at 4-4. But Brewer got out of the inning with a strikeout of Kyle Logan followed by a ground out to the mound by Corvell Durham.

“I had a rough inning there in the fourth but, it’s the beginning of the season,” Brewer said. “I’m still trying to keep the pitch-count down. I got up in the 60s.”

Spain came to the mound for the Warriors in the bottom of the fourth and quickly took out the first two PH batters, Martinez on a groundout to short and a strikeout of Shaw Stanford. But then the game fell apart for Spain. Brewer reached base after being hit by a pitch and advanced to third when Spain’s attempt to pick him off went wild. Collins then joined Brewer on base after also being hit by a pitch.

The inning appeared to be over when Stanley sent a rocket pop-up into the stratosphere over second. It was a shot that went so high Brewer crossed home before the ball touched down. And possibly because the shot hung in the air so long, Henrico second baseman Toombs bobbled the catch putting Patrick Henry up 5-4 on the Brewer score.

Seay followed Stanley’s shot with a single to deep right then crossed the other three bags to score when Woodworth sent a shot to the centerfield fence.

But the Patriots weren’t through. Following a walk of Tyler Wilkenson, senior Reid Berry entered the game as a pinch hitter for his first at bat of the season. Berry wasted little time making his presence known by belting a shot over the right field fence to plate Woodworth and Wilkenson ahead of him for an 11-4 Patrick Henry lead.

Stanley entered the game in relief in the top of the fifth and Henrico picked up a run when Mansfield drove in Prentiss but was too little-too late for the Warriors.

In the bottom of the fifth, Toombs came to the mound for Henrico and immediately walked Brewer. After Collins flew out to center, it was Stanley’s turn to belt one out of the park, sending a shot over right center for a 13-5 lead.

Seay reached base on a walk and a double to center by Woodworth advanced the runners. Finally, reserve Ben Fowler ended the game on a single to center, plating both runners to implement the slaughter rule.

For Brewer, team batting was the main question mark the Patriots were facing coming into the season. “It’s great because we had some holes to fill in our lineup,” he said. “Not pitching or defensively but our lineup was what I was what I was most concerned about and that looked like the best thing we had all night. It feels good to hit the ball like that right off the bat.

I felt real good about tonight, especially about how we came out and hit the ball,” Brewer added. “We lost a lot of our lineup last year. I’m pretty confident after tonight that we’ll be able to hit this season.”

Likewise for fellow senior Stanley. “I was a little nervous about the younger kids but they did good,” he said. “I’m glad they stepped up because they’ve got a big job next year after all us seniors leave.”

Though pleased with the opening win, Hart said he puts little emphasis on his team walking away with a victory. “It’s early in the season,” Hart said. “This game means you can either be 1-19 or it give you a chance to go 20-0 or somewhere in between. That’s all it means.”

Henrico…..............  000 41 —  5 6 2
Patrick Henry…..... 112 74 — 15 10 0
(H) Bateera, Spain (4), Toombs (5) and Props; (PH) Brewer, Stanley (5) and Woodward.
W: Brewer. L: Bateera.
Highlights: Michael Mansfield (H) 2 for 3, 2-run HR, 3 RBI; Nick Toombs (H) 2-run HR; Landon Prentiss (H) 2 for 3, 2 runs; Kyle Stanley (PH) 2 for 3, 2-run HR, 3 runs; Taylor Seay (PH) 2 for 2, 2-run HR, 5 RBI; Reid Berry (PH) 3-run HR
Records: Henrico 0-1; Patrick Henry 1-0