The third-ranked Eagles (31-6) took a chance and tinkered with their batting order before Wednesday’s Class 2A state semifinal baseball game against No. 8 San Angelo Grape Creek, moving Fritsch from the No. 2 spot to leadoff.
Turns out it wasn’t much of a gamble. Fritsch was going to blister the baseball no matter where he batted in the lineup.
Fritsch was just a home run away from hitting for the cycle, going 3-for-3 with a run batted in and scoring three runs in Salado’s 11-0, five-inning win over Grape Creek that sent the Eagles into today’s 2 p.m. championship game against Corsicana Mildred (31-6) at Dell Diamond.
That performance at the plate boosted Fritsch’s season batting average 15 points to .437.
“Matt is very confident and just wants to go up there and swing the bat,” Salado coach Melvin Bates said of his senior third baseman. “He’s going to make contact.”
The last time Bates made a change to the lineup - nearly two months and 13 wins ago - the Eagles’ offense went on a tear.
With Fritsch moving from the No. 3 to the No. 2 spot, Salado caught fire, averaging 10.6 runs in their next 15 games.
But with leadoff hitter Seth Collins in a slump entering the state tournament - 2-for-15 in his last five games - Bates figured it was time to tinker with the lineup one more time.
And once again, the move paid off.
Collins appeared to break out of his recent struggles, going 1-for-2 with an RBI single in the Eagles’ six-run second inning. He also was hit by a pitch in the third.
“It got him out of his slump,” Fritsch said. “The No. 2 hole sees good pitches - that’s why I like to be there.”
Fritsch saw some pitches he liked, as well.
He led off the game with a first-pitch double to left field and came around to score on a single by fellow senior Kevin Jackson, who also pitched only the second no-hitter in 2A state tournament history.
Fritsch hit a run-scoring single in the second for his 38th RBI of the season. He smacked a two-out triple to right-center, his first triple this season, in the third and came around to score on a balk.
The Eagles played their third game at Dell Diamond in less than a week. They swept No. 4 Lexington last Friday in the Region IV championship series.
That experience, Fritsch said, helped eliminate any “shell shock” he might have faced at the plate.
“Last week, the first two innings, we were just standing around looking at the ballpark instead of playing baseball,” Fritsch said. “We came out today and played ball from the first pitch.”
Literally.
rschneider@temple-telegram.com
