Dana Hills Nips Winder-Barrow To Reach NHSI Championship Game

Hans Crouse walks it off for Dana Hills. They beat Winder-Barrow 6-5 and head to the championship game. #NHSI17 pic.twitter.com/rKIDm1vX6R

— Carlos Collazo (@CarlosACollazo) March 31, 2017

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CARY, N.C.—Following its trend from the first two days of the National High School Invitational, Dana Hills (Calif.) High pulled out another close game, beating Winder-Barrow (Winder, Ga.) 6-5 on Hans Crouse’s single to advance to the championship game.

Similar to its first two NHSI games, Dana Hills found itself behind early. But like days prior, the Dolphins were able to emerge victorious.

“These guys prevailed, they hung in there and there was no quit in them,” Coach Tom Faris said. “It was fun to watch.”

Crouse got it started for Dana Hills with a two-run single in the first. The Dolphins threatened again in the second, but a heads-up play by Winder-Barrow catcher Beau Hanna stymied the attack, and the Georgia school responded two innings later, scoring five runs.

For Faris, even down 5-2, it was not a time to panic, but an opportunity for Dana Hills to grind until the last out—as it had all week.

“I don’t care how we do it, we have to touch home plate more than them,” Faris said. “That’s the ultimate goal.” Dana Hill slowly cut the gap, scoring runs in the fourth and fifth to make it 5-4.

Then in the seventh, down a run, Dana Hills loaded the bases with one out. Joe DeBaca walked to force in a run and tie it 5-5. That brought up Crouse, who wowed scouts in the NHSI’s first day by hitting 98 mph while matching up with lefthander Jacob Heatherly of Cullman (Ala.) High.

This time with the bat, Crouse impressed again, flaring a 1-0 fastball into right field, barely out of the reach of the Winder-Barrow infield.

“I hit it kind of soft, and not that hard so I was just, ‘Please don’t catch it,’” Crouse said. “ . . . I rounded first base and was like, ‘That’s a walk-off, right? Because at first guys weren’t really coming out.”

There was a moment of calm before a sea of Dolphins raced onto the diamond, celebrating their win.