2 days Ago
There was a lot to celebrate April 4 after Fort Dorchester closed its three-game baseball series against region foe West Ashley. The Patriots took the series two games to one to improve to 11-2 on the season with a 4-2 mark in 5A Region 8. That put them in a tie for second place in the region with Ashley Ridge.
This week, Fort Dorchester faces region leader James Island. The Trojans moved to 6-0 in the region with three wins over Summerville last week so this week’s series is sure to have a big impact on the final region standings and playoff seeding. “We will have our hands full,” said Fort Dorchester coach Ronnie Sayer.
“James Island is a good team. Coach Matt Spivey does a great job with them so they will be well coached. I played against him when I was in high school and he has a ton of talent and they don’t quit.
They have pitching; they have hitting and they have defense so it will be tough, but we are ready. We are excited.” Before entering the coaching profession, Sayer played for Fort Dorchester.
Spivey played for Summerville, which has been one of the Patriots’ biggest rivals since Fort Dorchester first opened its doors. The Trojans are ranked fourth, behind second-ranked Summerville, in the coaches association 5A, Division 1 poll released March 31 while the Patriots are unranked. Fort Dorchester claimed a 5-2 victory over West Ashley in North Charleston April 4.
Junior pitcher Banks Wickersham threw six innings, allowing only five hits, two runs and two base on balls to earn the win. He fanned five Wildcats’ batters and both Wildcats’ runs were unearned. Junior Thomas Wamer closed the game to earn a save.
Senior RJ Hamilton led the offense, going 2-for-3 at the plate with an RBI and a run scored. “We scored four runs in the first inning and didn’t get another until the sixth, but we had several guys contribute at the plate,” Sayer said. The Patriots claimed a 7-1 victory at West Ashley April 2.
Sophomore Daniel Schenk picked up the pitching win, going six innings on the hill and allowing only three hits and two base on balls while striking out seven. West Ashley’s run was unearned. Catcher Ljay Johnson was 2-for-4 at the plate with an RBI.
Wickersham was 2-for-3 with a double and scored a run. FD coach Ronnie Sayer That night marked Sayer’s 100th coaching win as Fort Dorchester’s head baseball coach. Members of the Fort Baseball Family had several of his former players record video messages congratulating him on the accomplishment for a presentation that was played on the school’s jumbo-tron at Steve LaPrad Field after the April 4 baseball game.
“The milestone is great but the stuff those guys said and that they cared enough to make those videos really means a lot,” Sayer said. “Yeah I got 100 wins but all I do is just sit in the dugout. Those guys out on the field battling for every run are the ones producing the wins; not me.
” Among those sending congratulatory messages to Sayer were Jalen Vazquez and Pat Monteith, a pair of former Patriots who are currently chasing the Major League dream. “It’s such a proud moment to see the hard work and dedication those guys put into the game pay off at the professional level,” Sayer said. “There is nothing better as a coach than to see that.
Wins are great but to see the guys move on and be successful, not just in baseball but in life, is super special.”.
