Walker, Marler right at home
Published 12:00 am Tuesday, August 20, 2013
On Sunday morning, Jordan Walker and Cody Marler received a piece of news that they couldn’t believe.
They were going to play a World Series game on their home turf at Red Level’s Hammett Holley Sports Complex.
Due to the plethora of rain the area got this weekend, 16-18 Babe Ruth World Series officials decided to move pool play games to Red Level High School’s baseball field because the other fields were too wet.
Walker and Marler, recent RLHS graduates, both said they were surprised when they heard the news about the field change.
“I was the happiest person around,” Walker said. “I told Cody that we’re going to have to show up becuase it’s our home turf.”
That they did.
Marler hit a two-run single in the top of the sixth, and Walker made a sliding catch to help give Covington County a 3-2 victory over the Mobile Bombers late Sunday night.
This was the host team’s first win of the series.
On his two-run single, Marler said the ball was in a perfect spot to get a hit.
“It scared me,” Marler said. “He left one over the plate and I just took it where I could take it.”
Walker said prior knowledge of the field helped out a lot when he made the catch that ended the sixth inning.
“It was slick (because of the rain),” he said. “I’m glad I stopped when I did because I kept sliding.”
To end the game and secure the win, Marler made a great catch at first base.
He said he was “better safe than sorry.”
“I didn’t know whether it was going to drop or not,” Marler said. “I just got down in case, but I was better safe than sorry. It was pretty awesome to do it.”