Senior Colson Geesee came up to the plate in the bottom of the seventh facing runners on the corners with one out in a 0-0 ballgame against the rival New Braunfels Canyon Cougars as a playoff berth hung in the balance.
In a rivalry game with postseason implications with the game winning run 90-feet away in front of packed house in San Marcos would shake the boots of any player in that situation. But for Geesee, it was another day at the office.
“I've been in that situation before. No pressure,” Geesee said. “We practice for that situation exactly at practice. I just have to calm the nerves down and do what I do. Go back to fundamentals, like what Coach Webb says. When the balls start flying, go back to the fundamentals and everything you've learned.”
Geesee sent the ball up the middle, scoring pinch runner Miguel Garcia at third for the game winning run as the Rattlers rushed the field to celebrate a 1-0 win and San Marcos’ fifth consecutive postseason berth.
Coming into Friday’s game, the Rattlers were looking to bounce back after Canyon won 4-3 on a walk-off bases loaded walk.
With Canyon fighting for a postseason berth along with San Marcos in addition to the Rattlers playing their final home game of the season, Head Coach Bryan Webb knew the stakes and the nature of the rivalry between the teams were going to be at an all-time high.
“We knew this was going to be an electric thing after Tuesday night,” Webb said. ”It was a battle. We didn't come out on top but that's what we talked about all week, holding our composure, doing what we needed to do, doing the little details, and we did it tonight. They came out ready to play. Both guys battled their guts out on the mound and I’m just super proud of our guys.”
The highlight of the game was senior pitcher Cole Wiatrek who threw a no-hitter, allowing no runs, three walks and striking out eight batters.
“My mentality all day was just to attack these hitters,” Wiatrek said. “My stuff was overpowering to them. They can't hit it so I'm just going there and attacking. I'm going to let my defense do the work because we have the best defense in the state of Texas. … It just allows me not to nibble so I can just go right at hitters and attack them.”
Following Tuesday’s loss, Webb told his senior pitcher that he would get the start on Friday and had full belief that he would deliver.
“We talked yesterday during practice and I said, ‘I'm showing faith in you. Go out here and do this,’” Webb said. “This is the guy that I've been preparing for 4 years. This is what you want. I knew as soon as I told him Tuesday or Wednesday he was pitching, he texted the team, told us what we were wearing that night, and so I knew he was ready. When you see a pitcher dialed in like that, you don't talk to him. You’re just kind of, ‘Hey, this is what we're going to do.’
“I went out there and I trusted him. He's a guy that we've had on the mound for probably 20-25 starts and he delivered on that.”
After Wiatrek got out of the top of the seventh with a 1-2-3 inning, the Rattlers got on base in the bottom of the seventh when Andrew Wilson connected with a lead-off triple.
“I knew what I was looking for,” Wilson said. Kept my pitch simple, just trying to hit the ball back where it came from. I saw a fastball and attacked it. We've not been able to touch this guy all night, so it felt pretty good to get that one.”
Canyon opted to intentionally walk the next batter to bring up Geesse who then hit the ball back up the middle to score Garcia at third to win the game.
San Marcos closes out the season on the road against Buda Johnson. First pitch is at 7 p.m. Tuesday at Buda Johnson High School.
