WINNING RUN … Edgerton’s Kadyn Picillo rounds third base on his way to scoring the game winning run for the Bulldogs in the bottom of the seventh inning at Sumpter Field in Bryan. (PHOTO BY RICH HARDING / THE VILLAGE REPORTER)
By: Daniel Cooley
BRYAN (MAY 24, 2023) – Though it will officially go down as a walk-off error on a deep fly ball to left field that was dropped, it was the heads-up base running of Edgerton’s Kadyn Picillo that provided the 3-2 win over Montpelier.
Picillo scored all the way from first base and beat the throw to home plate, to provide Edgerton with the dramatic win.
Edgerton was one strike away from winning the game in the top of the seventh inning. But Edgerton pitcher Corey Everetts uncorked two wild pitches that allowed Trent Thorp to score to tie the game at 2-2.
Thorp hit a single, went to second on a groundout and then advanced to third base on Everetts’ first wild pitch of the inning.
Then in the bottom of the seventh inning, Picillo got on via a walk. Everetts then hit the fly ball deep to left field, that was dropped and allowed Picillo to score.
“I messed up on the mound (in the top of the seventh inning}, but then we got a break (in the bottom of the inning) and that was huge for us.”
Edgerton had taken a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the third inning, on Everetts’ RBI triple. That lead stood until the top of the sixth inning, when Landon Fackler’s RBI single enabled Montpelier to tie the game at 1-1.
Edgerton retook the lead at 2-1 in the bottom of the sixth inning, when pitch-hitter Dylan Bass laced an RBI double just inside the third base line.
Then came the exciting seventh inning, where Montpelier tied the game, only to see Edgerton win it in the bottom of the seventh.
“Corey (Everetts) had a really good swing and the wind was moving the ball around, making it hard to catch (and the outfielder dropped the ball),” said Edgerton coach Michael Gilliland.
“But credit Picillo, it was an all-out sprint from him, all the way from first base, that helped us win it.”
“Overall, Corey pitched a really good game, and this win means a lot to our program. This is the first time since 2015 that we have advanced to the district finals.”
Edgerton will play North Central, a 3-0 winner over Toledo Christian, on Friday night at Bryan in the Division IV district finals.
Everetts picked up the win for Edgerton, allowing just two runs on three hits, while striking out seven and walking one.
Everetts led the Edgerton hitting attack with a triple, while Fackler hit two singles for Montpelier.
MONTPELIER 000 001 1 – 2 3 1
EDGERTON 001 001 1 – 3 6 4
Records: Montpelier 12-9, Edgerton 17-10
WINNING PITCHER: Everetts (7 innings, 3 hits, 2 runs, 2 earned, 7 strikeouts, 1 walk)
LOSING PITCHER: J. Richmond (0.2 innings, 1 run, 0 earned, 0 strikeouts, 1 walk) Other: Thorp
LEADING HITTERS: (Edgerton) Everetts – triple, RBI, Bass – double, RBI; (Montpelier) Fackler – 2 singles, RBI
Dan can be reached at publisher@thevillagereporter.com