Diving grabs, big swings and a determination to win.
Stratford High School’s baseball team used all of them to celebrate a victory in its home opener Monday, March 17, against visiting Ashley Ridge. The Knights rallied from a four-run deficit to edge the defending Lower State champions, 8-7.
“The biggest thing is we could have folded and just dropped our heads, just trying not to lose,” Stratford coach Tony Osterman said. “Now, we know we can win. We know we can come back with the players we have. There was a lot of effort. We didn’t hang our heads. We just competed. It’s an atmosphere where we’re all trying to play for each other.”
Senior outfielder Tripp Smith legged out an infield single with two outs in the bottom of the sixth to score sophomore courtesy runner Kaiden Skinner with the go-ahead run. Eighth-grade catcher Caleb Lott singled on a line drive to centerfield to lead off the sixth, then Skinner moved to second on sophomore infielder Dom Longello’s sacrifice bunt. Skinner stole third base before Smith rolled one to the left side of the infield.
Ashley Ridge had the tying and go-ahead runners on base in the top of the seventh when Stratford senior pitcher Bryce Herpolsheimer came on in relief of junior Jachin Davis. Herpolsheimer coaxed a fly out and ground out to record the save.
Osterman was proud of how the Knights banded together to record a notable win. To him, it seemed like everybody on the roster contributed in some way.
“Our coaches have been preaching it’s about team,” Osterman said. “It’s not about I or we, just showing them they can do it. They’ve competed at a high level in the past. We’re trying to show them how to get to that next level.”
Herpolsheimer, a returning all-region pick, started the comeback with his bat, blasting a solo home run from the left side in the bottom of the third inning to pull the Knights within 7-4. Ashley Ridge had just erupted for a six spot in the top of the inning.
Stratford pulled even in the bottom of the fifth. Davis reached on an error and scored on Smith’s groundout to cut the deficit to 7-5. After Herpolsheimer was hit by a pitch, senior outfielder Jason Smith ripped a RBI double into the left field corner to plate Herpolsheimer. Sophomore third baseman Jameson Lee completed the rally with a two-strike, two-out single right up the middle to score Jason Smith.
Davis, Tripp Smith (USC Union), Herpolsheimer (USC Union) and Lee finished with two hits and two RBIs apiece for the Knights, who collected 11 hits. Herpolsheimer scored three runs.
Davis, a returning all-state selection, hurled four innings of relief. He allowed one earned run on three hits with one strikeout before being lifted in the top of the seventh. In 2024, Davis batted .422 with 31 stolen bases.
Making a mark with the glove, both Smiths had diving catches from their corner outfield spots and junior centerfielder JQ Crosby raced into deep right center to make a catch at the fence that prevented the Swamp Foxes from plating an insurance run in the top of the sixth.
“JQ is a junior,” Osterman said. “I don’t know what the colleges are waiting for. You’ve got a 6-3 kid who is about 220 pounds and he can run down the ball in centerfield. He made three great catches tonight.”
From behind the dish, Lott threw out two runners on the basepaths. Original starter Brayden Burnett, a returning all-region selection and USC Sumter signee, is out with a knee injury.
“He just battled,” Osterman said of his middle school catcher. “He held his own with our pitchers and got a key hit at the end.”
The Knights improved to 1-0 in the regular season after going 1-1-2 in the preseason. They travel to Fort Dorchester and Georgetown on back-to-back days Tuesday, March 18, and Wednesday, March 19, before opening the Region 7-5A slate against defending league champion Wando High School. They encounter the Warriors in a three-game series March 24, 26 and 28, hosting the first and third games.
The Knights follow with a three-game series against new league opponent Lucy Beckham March 31, April 2 and April 4, again hosting the bookend games.
Junior Jarret Wagner and senior Jacob Deacon (Citadel) give the Knights two more strong arms near the top of the rotation along with Davis and Herpolsheimer. Lee, Longello and Lott also climb the bump for Stratford.
Infielder Walter Argrett (Edward Waters) is another senior who has signed to play at the next level.
“Expectations are very high this year,” Osterman said. “We feel like we can win state this year. First of all you’ve got to win the region and there are a lot of good teams in the region. Anybody can beat you. It’s just how you’re competing at the end and how you’re rolling at the end… The biggest thing is playing for each other.”