Jesse Abrams delivered when it mattered most. The Crossroads senior catcher smacked a game-winning hit to left field in the bottom of the 11th inning Tuesday night, lifting the Roadrunners to a 2-1 victory over Viewpoint at Clover Park in a thrilling senior night showdown that lived up to its billing.
The marathon contest featured a classic pitchers' duel between two of the area's top hurlers — Crossroads junior Quinn Barach and Viewpoint's Izzy Parsky, a Dartmouth-bound senior whom Roadrunners coach Eric Beckerman called "the best pitcher in the league."
"They got their ace pitcher going," Beckerman said before the game. "He's going to Dartmouth next year. So we got our hands full with Izzy, we know that going into the game."
Parsky struck first, belting a solo home run over the left field wall in the opening inning to give the Patriots an early 1-0 advantage. The right-hander's two-way dominance was on full display as he stifled Crossroads hitters while throwing what appeared to be low-90s fastballs with impressive command.
Barach, meanwhile, settled into a rhythm after the rocky start. The left-hander, whose leg kick draws comparisons to Dodgers ace Clayton Kershaw, found his groove in the second inning and began striking out Viewpoint batters with increasing frequency.
"I'm feeling good, trying to stay locked-in focused on myself," Barach said before the game. "I just have to keep a positive mindset and stay ready for the game and just focus on myself and how I'm pitching."
The game remained deadlocked at 1-0 until the fourth inning, when Crossroads found their breakthrough. Alfred Bloomingdale, described as an "unsung hero," connected on a Parsky offering and drove it over the right field fence to even the score at 1-1.
From there, both pitchers dug in for what would become an extended battle of wills. Barach continued his stellar performance, guided by veteran catcher Abrams, who provided leadership and called an effective game behind the plate. The Crossroads defense looked sharp throughout, executing crisp fielding plays and staying focused as the innings mounted.
Both starters went the distance in regulation, with Barach matching Parsky pitch for pitch through seven innings and beyond. The Crossroads junior showed no signs of fatigue as the game moved into extra innings, maintaining the same fluid mechanics that had carried him through the earlier frames.
"Kershaw is definitely one of them, a nice power lefty, and Shohei Ohtani has a great mental state when he pitches," Barach said when asked about his role models. "I just try to focus on myself because I'm a unique pitcher. Not let the game distract me, not let mistakes mess me up, just keep throwing strikes and working hard."
As the contest stretched into the 11th inning, both teams remained locked in the 1-1 tie. The tension was palpable at Clover Park as fans from both schools created an electric atmosphere befitting such a crucial late-season matchup.
Then came Abrams' heroics. With the crowd on its feet, the senior catcher stepped into the batter's box and delivered the hit that sent the home fans into a frenzy. His left field liner scored the winning run and touched off a celebration that spilled from the dugout onto the field.
The victory capped what Beckerman described as potentially his team's best performance of the season, coming at the perfect time on senior night.
"Feeling good, we played really well in our last game, probably our best game of the season," Beckerman had said beforehand. "As long as we play a good game we should be in a position to win today."
For Crossroads, the dramatic win serves as a signature moment in what has been a strong season. For the seniors like Abrams, it provided the perfect ending to their final home game, with a clutch performance that will be remembered long after the lights went down at Clover Park.