Reason to Hope
- Updated: April 30, 2025
Errors, Patrician power doom Hope Christian in Game 3 of AISA semifinal series, but deep run in inaugural season makes ‘chasing greatness’ feel more doable for upstart program.
By Joe Medley
East Alabama Sports Today
MONTGOMERY — Roby Brooks’ stood on Montgomery’s Paterson Field, site of the AISA’s semifinals and finals, and recalled humbling times early in Hope Christian’s inaugural season.
“We were 0-2, and we struck out 31 times in 36 total at bats,” Hope’s first baseball coach said. “Now, we’re one of the final four teams standing in the state.
“I’m never going to be satisfied,” he said. “I’m always going to be chasing greatness. I know I’m never going to catch greatness. I know for a fact that I’m never going to catch it, but I’m going to keep trying.
“That’s what keeps bringing me back. That’s why baseball is such a beautiful game.”
A lot happened between Hope’s humble beginnings and the four-error experience that played out in Hope/s 12-3 loss to Patrician in Game 3 of their Class A AISA semifinal series in Montgomery on Wednesday.
Most of that middle gives Brooks hope and Hope energy while growing the program.
The Saints finished 24-10, earned a first-round playoff bye and played host to a quarterfinal series, in which they swept South Choctaw.
They got to Montgomery and won Monday’s Game 1 1-0. They led Game 2 2-0 before falling 6-2, which set up Wednesday’s Game 3.
The game was well in hand by the time Ethan Carr homered to left field in the fourth inning and Matthew Mize homered off of the scoreboard in left-center field in the fifth.
Led by Easten Strickland’s 2-for-3 performance at the plate, Hope managed five hits against Patrician pitchers Bryson Reid and Cash Chapman.
“It wasn’t our day,” said senior Eli Bozeman, who got the win in Game 1. “We’ve had an incredible season. We’ve faced adversity, but today just wasn’t our day.”
When the infield dirt settles on the season, the Saints will remember playing on their new home field, at Oxford’s Big Jack Stovall Complex. They’ll remember the fireworks show behind the first-base dugout after they finished sweeping South Choctaw in the quarterfinals.
In the end, they huddled around the pitcher’s mound on the state’s biggest stage for AISA ball.
“It’s a phenomenal season, regardless of the outcome,” Bozeman said. “To do what we did as a first-season program is unforgettable.”
As for that postgame huddle, Brooks focused minds forward.
“Like I told the boys, we’re going to miss the seniors, but next season starts on the way home,” he said. “That’s how we’re going to approach this thing. We’re going to learn from it. We’re going to come back better and stronger.
“I can’t wait.”
Game 3 updates
–T1: Hope goes down in order.
–B1: Hit batsman, passed ball, error help Patrician get a run home, 1-0. … Benji Barber’s RBI single makes it 2-0. … Ethan Carr’s two-run double makes it 4-0.
–T2: Hope gets runners on with a hit batsman and a walk, and two runs score on a Trevor Ryals bunt plus a throwing error to bring Hope within 4-2. … (Pitching change for Patrician, Cash Chapman) … After striking out two batters with bases loaded, Chapman walks Cayden Slick to bring Hope within 4-3.
–B2: Patrician loads the bases, scores a run on a two-out error to lead 5-3. … Three runs scored on another two-out error to make it 8-3.
–T3: Nothing for Hope.
–B3: Bryson Wheeler hits two-run single to make it 10-3.
–T4: Nothing for Hope.
–B4: Carr hits a solo home run, and Patrician leads 11-3.
–T5: Nothing for Hope.
–B5: Matthew Mize homers off of the scoreboard to make it 12-3.
–T6: No runs for Hope.
–B6: Hope retires Patrician in order. LF Levi Franklin with a really nice catch running back to the LCF gap.
–T7: Nothing for Hope.
FINAL: Patrician wins 12-3, advances.
You must be logged in to post a comment Login