PHOTOS, VIDEO: Craig’s RBI hit in 9th completes wild Warrior comeback over Lower Cape May

Posted: April 22nd 2024

By BRIAN CUNNIFF

CapeAtlanticLive.com

WILDWOOD – Jake Craig is considered to be one of the Wildwood High School baseball team’s top hitters.

But the junior pitcher and first baseman hadn’t gotten off to the kind of start he wanted at the plate so far this season.

Perhaps one massive hit gets him going.

Craig’s hard-hit single down the first base line plated Brian Cunniff from second base as the Warriors rallied from a 10-7 deficit in the bottom of the ninth inning to post a dramatic 11-10 victory over local rival Lower Cape May Monday.

“At the plate, he’s been struggling, but Jake is one of our best power hitters and he normally hits a lot of balls hard,” Wildwood coach Rich Hans said. “It couldn’t have happened to a better kid. He really loves baseball.”

JAKE CRAIG

R.J. Blanda and Junior Hans each walked and Ryan Troiano singled as Wildwood loaded the bases with no outs in the bottom of the ninth. Logan Totten’s sacrifice fly plated the first run of the inning, before Troiano and Hans scored on Cunniff’s line-drive single to left field. Cunniff went to second on the throw to the plate and scored easily when Craig’s screamer down the first-base line rolled toward the corner. Wildwood’s players poured off the bench and mobbed Craig in celebration near first base.

Lower had taken the lead in the top of the inning on a long RBI double by Amari West to center field. Later in the inning, Kody Lewis blooped a single to right center that scored West and Cade Heacock to up Lower’s advantage to three runs before Wildwood’s dramatic rally in the bottom of the inning.

Wildwood never led until the finish. Lower went out to a 4-0 lead after one inning and held a 7-3 advantage after 4 ½ innings. But Wildwood scored three times in the fifth and tied the game with two outs in the seventh on Totten’s bloop single to right.

Totten went 3 for 4 with a double and three RBI and Harley Buscham and Junior Hans each added two hits for Wildwood. Broc Denke chipped in a two-run single.

Cunniff was the winning pitcher, tossing three scoreless innings before giving up three runs in the ninth.

Evan Shoffler went 4 for 5 with a run scored, West had three hits and two RBI and Drew Kronemeyer, Aydan Heacock, Sean Kelleher and Matt DiCave each added two hits for Lower Cape May (5-6). Lewis had three RBI.

Wildwood (4-5) has another local rival for its next game, Thursday’s 6 p.m. start against Cape May Tech at Maxwell Field.

“We’ve had a tough start playing some really good teams so, hopefully, this kickstarts us,” Hans said. “We’ll see what happens Thursday. I know the kids will be up for it.”