Matthew Legere is a Master’s Student at ASU Cronkite School of Journalism assigned to cover Hamilton High School for AZPreps365.com

CHANDLER — Wednesday’s highly anticipated matchup between two of Arizona's premier 6A teams, Red Mountain and Hamilton, was a masterclass on situational baseball that did not disappoint. Despite being out-hit on the afternoon, the Huskies did just enough to scratch and claw their way back in a 5-4 extra inning, come-from-behind victory over the Red Mountain Lions in Wednesday’s home opener at Hamilton High School.

The Huskies took a first inning 1-0 lead on a run scored by junior shortstop Roch Cholowsky, but it was Red Mountain’s senior right-hander Mason Kelley who would settle down and take the early control of this one.

The 6’ 4” Arizona commit had a quick delivery on his fastball, sitting between 87-89 mph on the day; and a biting slider at 74-75 mph that held the Huskies to just four hits and one run through six innings. Kelley walked two and added seven strikeouts to his tally, as well. 

The Mountain Lions plated their equalizing run after a bizarre series of events led to a second-chance opportunity for offense in the third inning. Hamilton’s senior right fielder, Gavin Turley, showed off what a near-100 mph outfield cannon looks like, appearing to have thrown out Mountain Lion senior TJ Adams at second base on an attempt to stretch a two-out single into a double.

Cholowsky, the shortstop, slapped down the inning-ending tag and the Huskies were ready to take their at-bats in the bottom half of the frame – or so they thought. 

Adams was ruled safe at second base on what was claimed to be a missed tag by Cholowsky. The base umpire and home plate umpire deliberated over the call, but to no avail for the Huskies. The questionable call was overturned not once, but twice – ruling that Adams was safe, out, and then safe again.

Head coach Mike Woods discusses a huge, momentum-swinging blown call with the home plate umpire in the third inning of Wednesday’s 5-4 victory over Red Mountain. (Matthew Legere photo/ AZPreps365)

The umpires’ eventual decision, which was a real tone-setter for the rest of the game, brought Hamilton’s starting pitcher, Kole Klecker, back onto the mound to face Red Mountain's Mitch Namie with a runner now in scoring position. The New Mexico State University commit delivered a near-identical single to right field and brought home the game-tying run before, somewhat ironically, being thrown out at second base trying to advance on the throw home. 

“Calls aren’t always going to go your way,” Klecker said. “You’ve just got to learn to flush it. Understand that the call is not going to change and the game is going to go on with or without you. Just forget about it and throw the next pitch.”

Klecker remained poised and continued to battle for the Huskies, allowing just one run on five hits and two walks through his first six innings of work. 

In the top of the seventh, however, Red Mountain broke open the deadlocked contest. With a Mountain Lion runner in scoring position, teammate Zackary Barcon hit a sinking line drive to left field. Hamilton’s junior outfield Jeter Mauzey was a mere inches away from making a head-first diving catch on the screamer, but instead the ball dropped in and the result was a 2-1 lead for the Mountain Lions. 

Taking its first lead of the day, Red Mountain then got some much needed insurance runs with clutch at-bats from earlier heroes TJ Adams and Mitch Namie. The pair went back-to-back with a single and a two-run RBI double. The Mountain Lions led 4-1. 

The Huskies were down but certainly not out. Chasing three runs in the team's final at-bat, head coach Mike Woods relied upon the bottom third of his lineup – who had been a combined 1-for-6 to start the game – to get on base and make something happen. 

Zach Wadas and Prince DeBoskie led off the frame with two hard-hit singles, which led to the chance at a big-time moment for sophomore prodigy Liam Wilson.

Wilson, who hit a solo home run in the team's first game of the season, quickly fell behind 0-2 in the count but never let his confidence waiver. He continued to work the at-bat and made sure that when he got his pitch, he did not miss it. Wilson sat back on a fastball right down the heart of the plate and launched it over the left field wall for a three-run, game-tying home run that lit the crowd on fire and gave the Huskies all the momentum in the world. 

Though it did not immediately seal the victory, Wilson's at-bat was the spark that the Husky offense so desperately needed. One inning later Hamilton completed its completed its comeback on a walk-off wild pitch by Red Mountain. The Huskies improved to 2-0 on the season with the 5-4 triumph. 

Wilson finished the game 1-for-3 with a home run and three RBIs. The No. 9 hitter and sophomore slugger is hitting .500 with two bombs and six RBIs through the team's first two games.

“See the ball, hit the ball,” Wilson said. “I was choked up, staying short to the ball and trying to protect the plate. I wasn't really trying to do too much other than just put a good barrel on it.”

This is exactly the approach that has led to early success for the sophomore catcher at the plate. With two home runs in just six official at-bats on the season, one cannot help but wonder, What is the secret to Wilson's sudden surge of power?

“Dumplings, man,” Wilson said. “It's all in the dumplings. I’ve got to have them before every game.”

With any validity to Wilson’s claim, the Huskies (2-0) may now want to reconsider lunch plans prior to Friday’s 3:45 p.m. first pitch at Sandra Day O’Connor (0-1). Red Mountain (1-1) hosts Brophy Prep (1-1) at 6:30 p.m. on Friday, March 4.