Chris Hodgens wasn’t even looking as he threw the ball toward second base. New Utrecht’s catcher’s left spike was stuck in the dirt as he heard everyone yelling “two.”
Suddenly, moments later, his teammates were running off the field smiling as the top of the fifth inning had ended. His throw was on the money, the final leg to a triple play, the first one Hodgens — or any of his teammates or coaches — has been a part of it.
“I didn’t even really process that [it was a triple play] until everybody was walking off the field,” he said after the Utes’ disappointing loss to Fort Hamilton. “I just tried to make the play and it would up being three outs. It was pretty cool.”
Daniel Mendez stood on third and Franciel Campusano was at first when Jason Barton cracked a fastball into left field. Leftfielder Matt Corona ran in to make the catch on the liner.
Campusano was running on the pitch, so shortstop Matt Settanni was about to look to double him off first, when Mendez broke for home. Settanni threw a strike to Hodgens, who blocked the plate and tagged out Mendez. Hodgens hopped up and gunned down Campusano at second, capping the memorable play.
“It was a strange play, not a great base-running play,” New Utrecht coach Rick DeMarco said. “We just threw the ball where we were supposed to. That was a bright spot, for the time being.”
