MINT HILL, NC – On Wednesday afternoon at East Mecklenburg High School, the Patriots took the field against the Country Day Buccaneers in a non-conference baseball game. Indy got on the board in the bottom of the first inning after lead-off hitter Thomas Miller was awarded first base after being hit by a pitch. With one out and Miller on second base, Jake Stanley singled to left field scoring Miller and Indy took a 1-0 lead. In the top of the second inning, Country Day tied the score after Tyler Shortridge hit singled to center field and worked himself to third base, and then scored on a wild pitch.
In the bottom of the second inning, the Patriots lost their senior pitcher Tyler Spicer. He was attempting to beat out an infield hit that was fielded by the Country Day pitcher. As the play developed at first base, the first baseman was standing in the base path. As Spicer approached the base, it appeared that the first baseman had blocked Spicer’s access to the base, and the two players collided causing Spicer to fall to the ground. After the collision, Indy’s coach Sam Skinner and the East Meck’s athletic trainer checked Spicer’s arm, and coach Skinner removed his injured player from the game.  Spicer was later transported to the ER for further treatment. It was reported that Spicer had fractured his wrist and will not be able to finish the season. In the top of the third inning, Country Day scored on a home run over the left-field wall to take a 2-1 lead. However, in the bottom of the third, the Patriots tied the score. After Cole Coates reached on an error, Jake Stanley followed with a double to center field scoring Coates to tie the game 2-2.
In the fourth inning, the Patriots held the Buccaneers scoreless while adding three more runs of their own. Garrett Lawrence reached on an error. Joseph Reddish drew a walk, and Frank Jones Jr. reached on a center field single. All three came to the plate to give Indy a 5-2 lead. Country Day cut the Patriots’ lead to one run 5-4 in the top of the fifth inning. With a runner on first, the Buccaneers hit their second homer of the game.  The top of the sixth saw Country Day tie the score 5-5. But the Patriots battled back posting two runs of their own to retake the lead 7-5 heading into the seventh inning.
Country Day fought back scoring a run to make the score 7-6. With one out, Cole Coates, who came in for Spicer, struck out two of the Buccaneers hitters to end the game with Indy taking a 7-6 non-conference win.
Country Day   0 1 1 0 2 1 1 – 6
Independence 1 0 1 3 0 2 X – 7
