Gabe Howard dominates in 4-3 series-clinching win over Marion

(Photo by Isaac Abrego)

By Henry Light

Drifters’ starter Gabe Howard posted zero after zero to the stat sheet through five innings against Marion, and his lineup supplied enough runs to survive the Berries’ late push, holding on for a 4-3 win.

Howard struck out seven batters over five dominant innings, while pushing his highest pitch count in Springfield (19-25, 16-19) from 53 to 74. The Marion (17-27, 13-24) bullpen kept the game within reach, and the Berries’ lineup closed the gap with a three-run seventh inning, but it wasn’t enough to prevent the Drifters from taking the series on Saturday.

“Gabe Howard came out and set the tone and just threw the ball with a lot of electricity and an amazing amount of command and confidence,” Drifters head coach Jeff Lyle said. “His patience and tempo is really, really fun to watch.”

Chase Nye (2-for-4, RBI, BB) lined the first pitch of the game into left field for a single, and Nick Gimino turned it into a rally with a single of his own. A bunt advanced the runners, allowing Preston Armstrong to open the scoring with a groundout and Zach Story to put the Drifters ahead 2-0 with an infield single.

“Nye is a complete player. He’s 5-foot-7 of absolute dynamite, man,” Lyle said. “You can play him anywhere in the field, and you can hit him anywhere in the lineup, and our record since he joined the team is really good.”

Aiden Gebhard kept the offense going with a one-out single in the second. He promptly found himself caught between first and second after a pickoff attempt, but ended up advancing all the way to third on an errant throw. His aggressive baserunning helped cash in a run and extend the lead to 3-0 after Nye grounded out.

Kahaku Harrison crushed a well-located low slider into the Berries’ bullpen in the fourth to put the Drifters up 4-0. Harrison’s first two home runs of the season came seven days apart on July 11 and 18. In his first start since the latter, the incoming Rice freshman brought his total to three long balls on the season.

“He’s been sticking to the process, getting good pitches out over the plate and having good direction and putting good swings on them,” Lyle said. “His confidence has just been through the roof the last ten or so games.”

Howard ended his day by striking out the side in the fifth inning. After throwing 53 pitches against Marion in his second Drifters appearance last week, the Oregon sophomore, who held a relief role with the Ducks in the spring, stretched out to 74 with his near-flawless start tonight.

“I didn’t know how it was gonna go in that last inning, but striking out the side was an awesome way to put the stamp on it,” Howard said.

The Berries’ lineup broke out for a three-run seventh inning, but Griffin Scott was called in to protect the Drifters’ one-run lead. Scott was able to hold on for the save posting a 2 2/3-inning, two-strikeout performance.

The Drifters will go for the home sweep on July 26 with first pitch scheduled for 4:05 p.m. The game can be streamed on the Drifters’ YouTube channel or on the WCL Live app for free.

Tomorrow is Craft Night at Hamlin Sports Complex! Fans can have fun between innings at one of the many craft stations set up around the stadium.