In what was otherwise a very forgettable two days on the ballfield, Bradley Central’s loyal fans will come away with a singular memory of the Class AAA sectional game: Stewarts Creek outfielder Sean Slaughter.
A left-handed-hitting sophomore with a sweet swing, Slaughter drove in six runs with a bases-loaded double and a three-run homer as the Red Hawks laid waste to the Bears, 14-2. For good measure, he added a fifth-inning single and scored his third run as the visitors scored every inning.
The victory moves the Red Hawks (21-15) into this week’s Spring Fling. Bradley (24-11-1) had its season end a win short of the Fling for the second time in three years at the hands of coach Mike Bartlett’s team.
It was not difficult to get Bartlett to rave about his leadoff hitter, as well as his pitcher, left-hander Aaron Moriaty, who yielded six hits in the abbreviated five-inning game.
“(Slaughter) is unbelievably strong for his age,” Bartlett acknowledged. “When he puts the barrel of the bat on it, it’s good. That’s all I can say.