Heinrich, Cavaliers walk-off War Eagles

THE WOODLANDS, Texas - A pair of Division I pitchers lived up to their billing and then some in a District 14-5A baseball battle on Tuesday night at College Park High School.

College Park’s Beau Ridgeway, who is headed to Texas, and Oak Ridge’s Luken Baker, who will pitch for TCU, matched zeroes on the scoreboard for the first six innings of the cross-town rivalry.

“It was quite a matchup,’’ said College Park head coach Jason Washburn. “And they are very good friends. You couldn’t have asked for anything more.’’

Through six innings, both pitchers had allowed only three hits. But in the bottom of the seventh, Justin Heinrich’s one-out RBI double gave the Cavaliers a 1-0 victory and handed Baker the tough-luck loss.

Luken Baker gave up only four hits while striking out nine, while Ridgeway, who went nine innings in the Cavs’ tough loss to Bryan last week, struck out eight in the contest.

“We needed to get off the schneid in District 14-5A,’’ said Washburn, who had watched his club lose to The Woodlands and Bryan in back-to-to-back games before it rebounded to beat St. Thomas in a non-district game. “The win over St. Thomas was big. But we needed a victory in 14-5A.’’

Jayden Holden started the College Park seventh inning with a walk. Jacob Mardick tried to bunt him to second, but instead bunted into a fielder’s choice. After a bloop single to right, Heinrich laced Luken’s first pitch down the third-base line for a game-winning double.

“I felt pretty confident with Justen at the plate,’’ admitted Washburn. “He always gets on base. He finds a way to put the barrel of the bat on the ball.’’

College Park (16-8, 5-2) had a chance to grab the lead when designated hitter Roosevelt Henderson started the fourth with a towering triple off the center field wall. But Baker worked out of the frame with a pair of strikeouts and a groundout.

Oak Ridge, which fell to 19-5 and 4-4 in the league, had its best chance to score in the top of the sixth inning when Luken Baker ripped a single and Riley McKnight was hit by a pitch to put men on first and second with one out. Ridgeway, like Baker, struck out the next two batters to end the threat.

“This was a great game,’’ Washburn said. “We have been having trouble getting runs across the plate. I am glad we could get this one.’’