The essence of baseball is the duel between pitcher and hitter. The bigger and faster the pitcher and the bigger and stronger the hitter, the better.
Tuesday at Riverdale Park, a seesaw game with no theme crystallized into one such moment as Good Counsel slugger Nick Ulaky dug in against DeMatha ace Nick Pearce.
Good Counsel had two runners on, was down to its last out and trailing by a run as Ulaky, a 6-foot-4 left-hander bound for Delaware, squinted out to the mound at the 6-foot-5 Pearce, who will play two miles away at the University of Maryland.
On the first pitch, Ulaky took a mighty cut and missed. Strike one. On the second, he took a weak cut and missed. Strike two. On the third, he waved at an outside fastball. Strike three.
For the first time all afternoon, DeMatha retired Ulaky and it earned the Stags a 9-8 Washington Catholic Athletic Conference victory.
“That’s why you play, for situations like that,” said Pearce (6-2). “It was three straight two-seam fastballs. The pitch runs down and away to a left-hander.”
The first time Ulaky batted Tuesday, he doubled in a run. The second time, he doubled in two. The third time, he singled in another. The fourth time, he walked.
“He just got the best of me in that last at bat,” said Ulaky, who also pitched the first five innings. “That’s how you want the game to end. You want a chance to win it.”
The last time Ulaky was in that situation, Wednesday against Paul VI, he delivered a two-run double that gave the Falcons a win. Three of the last four days, however, Good Counsel (10-11-1, 8-8 WCAC) has lost to the top three teams in the conference — St. John’s, Gonzaga and DeMatha (21-6, 12-4) — by a combined four runs.
“We’re right there with the best teams in the league,” said Ulaky. “That gives us confidence for the tournament. We feel like we can beat any of those teams.”
Dangerous Devins
» DeMatha senior second baseman Devin Rivers blasted two home runs and has four forthe season. On both, he plated his sophomore brother Nick.
» DeMatha third baseman Devin English contributed three hits, including the game-winning single in the bottom of the sixth.
» Good Counsel’s Kevin Jones tied the game, 8-8, in the top of the sixth with a two-run single.
