Tim Tebow Delivers Game-Winning Hit

SCOTTSDALE, Ariz.—Tim Tebow felt himself getting stronger and more confident each successive at-bat on Monday night.

So when he stepped to the plate in the bottom of the ninth with the bases loaded, two outs and the score tied 3-3, the Mets outfielder and former Heisman Trophy winner was calm, collected, and able to execute his plan for the win.

Tebow delivered a walkoff RBI single down the left-field line to lift Scottsdale to a 4-3 win over Mesa in an Arizona Fall League contest, capping the Scorpions’ ninth-inning rally off Marlins righthander and Solar Sox closer Drew Steckenrider.

“The whole day they had been throwing me outside fastballs and they had a shift on a little bit, so (coaches) were just talking about letting it get deep and going with it,” Tebow said. “First pitch I tried to let it get deep and hit it opposite way, especially when they play you with a pull.”

Tebow’s bouncer down the line was just out of reach of third baseman Brian Anderson, scoring pinch-runner Tyler Wade (Yankees) from third.

While it was soft bouncer and hardly squared up, it evened things out for Tebow, who was robbed of a hit in the eighth when his hard liner back up the middle hit righthander Steve Perakslis (Cubs) in the leg and settled in front of the mound, allowing Perakslis to throw Tebow out at first.

“I actually felt really good the entire day,” said Tebow, who finished 1-for-4 and has a hit in four of his past five games. “Had a lot of good work this morning and then this afternoon after I got here. First at-bat I saw it really well, second at-bat felt like I saw it really well but just swung at a stupid pitch on a 3-2 count…and then felt like I put a good swings on it my next two at-bats as well.”

Mesa entered the bottom of the ninth with a 3-2 lead after the Cubs’ Ian Happ put the Solar Sox in front with a 2-run triple in the sixth, but Scottsdale quickly wiped it away against Steckenrider.

The Mets’ Gavin Cecchini led off with a double and the Yankees’ Greg Bird walked before the Giants’ Hunter Cole ripped a single up the middle to score Cecchini and tie it.

Steckenrider managed to get two outs while working around an intentional walk to the Giants’ Ryder Jones to load the bases, but Tebow spoiled his thoughts of escaping the inning by reaching out on a first-pitch fastball and getting just enough of the ball to push it down the line for the winner.

“It’s a lot of pressure in those situations, but those are fun moments,” Tebow said. “It feels good just to be with these guys and have fun with them and have a come from behind win. We’ve given up a few of these this year, so it feels good to get one.”

NEWS AND NOTES

• Ryder Jones stood out in a big way for Scottsdale, going 3-for-4 with three hard singles and multiple highlight-reel plays defensively at first base with nifty scoops, acrobatic stretches and calm glovework on tricky hops. The Giants’ second-round pick in 2013 has largely fallen off the prospect map after posting OBPs of .296 and .291 the past two seasons at high Class A and Double-A respectively, but is showing well in the Fall League with a .347/.418/.510 slash line through 14 games.

• Yankees righthander Brody Koerner delivered a strong start for Scottsdale, tossing five innings with two hits and one run allowed. The 2015 17th-round pick out of Clemson only notched one strikeout and didn’t miss many bats with his 91-92 mph fastball, mid-80s changeup and low 80s curveball, but largely kept the ball on the ground and let his infield defense make plays for him.

• Happ went 2-for-3 with his two-run triple to lead Mesa, while Indians outfielder Greg Allen went 2-for-4 with multiple hard contacts and stole third base with a great jump and elite speed. Athletics shortstop Franklin Barreto finished 2-for-4 and had one of the hardest hit balls of the night with a long double deep into the left-center gap.