(June 23, 2025 – Coppell, TX) It wasn’t pretty, but in the end, it was perfectly Spirits baseball — a relentless wave of stress, chaos on the bases, errors on defense, and just enough timely hitting to turn a 7 to 6 deficit into a 9 to 7 comeback win over the Knights in NTABL Masters (45+) Division action Tuesday night.
After an evening that saw the Spirits defense pick up 5 errors on the field, the team kept its poise and turned what appeared would be a give-it-away loss into a win. Kevin Simmons and Eric McPherson each finished 2-for-3 on the night, with Simmons adding an RBI and a stolen base. Dee Mauldin continued to add layers to his “three-bags-at-a-time” mystique, launching another triple to his growing highlight reel while also reaching base all three times he came to the dish.
With time running out on the league’s two hour time limit for games and with one out in the inning, Shawn Lee was able to knock a fly ball deep enough into centerfield to score McPherson to bring in the go-ahead and eventual game-winning run as the Spirits were able to get medieval on the Knights to earn the victory.
Lee’s sacrifice fly in the bottom half of the fifth inning capped a gritty rally that started with a leadoff walk from newcomer, Vincent Diciero, who also picked up the win on the mound. To start the inning, McPherson followed with his second hit of the game and took second on the throw as Diciero made his way to third. Mauldin was intentionally walked to load the bases and create a force for the Knights, but Dale Baird laced an RBI single to tie the game, 7 to 7. That set the stage for Lee’s sacrifice fly to center and added insurance from Simmons and Eric Goetz with back-to-back contact plays, helped the Spirits to turn the game on its head, claiming a 9 to 7 lead and securing a victory before time ran out.
The first inning saw the Spirits respond quickly to an early 2 to 0 deficit after McPherson started things off with a single. He would later steal second with Mauldin drawing a walk right after. Both runners proceeded to swipe their next bags just before Lee singled to score both runners to tie the game, 2 to 2. Simmons followed with a single to score Lee, and just like that, the Spirits had jumped ahead 3 to 2.
Pitcher, Vincent Diciero makes his Spirits debut.
The teams traded runs across the second and third, and after giving up four in a sloppy fourth frame that included multiple defensive miscues and outfield errors, the Spirits found themselves down 7 to 6 entering the bottom of the fifth with game time running out. With starting pitcher, Jonathan Duran showing some signs of fatigue, Lee turned to Diciero for a “school of hard knocks” debut in the top half of the fifth.
The hard-throwing right-hander showed some initial signs of control problems but he was close, and looking good for a guy who hadn’t pitched in 20 years. Diciero walked Sean Smith on four straight pitches and appeared he’d have a chance to make up for it after Cuauhtemoc Zubillaga hit a grounder to him 2 pitches later. Diciero fielded cleanly, but an errant throw past second base into centerfield allowed both runners to be safe and the Spirits appeared to be in trouble.
Diciero gained his composure and was then able to strike out both Michael Miller and Scott McCain to leave two on with two out. The runners advanced following a wild pitch to add to the building drama, and after Dewey Leggett drew a walk to load the bags, Diciero went head to head with Michael Kubick and won the battle after striking him out to get out of the inning.
The Spirits took that momentum to the dugout and that’s when the character kicked in. Diciero was the first to reach base for the second time by patiently drawing a four-pitch walk from Knights starter, Tim Trout. McPherson kept the line moving after adding a clutch single that moved Diciero to third. McPherson took second on the throw and the Knights chose to intentionally walk Mauldin, which set the stage for Baird and Lee to add some timely heroics.
Goetz added a hit, an RBI, a stolen base, and a run scored to cap off the Spirits box score, while Shawn Hunt and Stacy Scott also chipped in hits as 9 of 12 Spirits hitters reached base on the night.
“We’re still not playing perfect baseball,” Lee admitted afterward. “But we’re competing every at-bat. We’re creating pressure and putting balls in play. That’s what gives us chances to steal games like this. Timing is a lot of it, and we had guys step up tonight, including Vinny (Diciero). He came in to pitch for the first time in ages and we knew he was excited to play. He seized the moment and proved to be clutch, both on the hill and during that at-bat in the final frame. That moment was a bigtime! (Eric) McPherson was great and remained hot at the plate as usual, but he’s also very smart on the base paths. Dee’s (Mauldin) patience and continued hitting was also clutch, and I finally was able to help in a time of need. Great win overall. Obviously, a lot of fun to do it in dramatic fashion.”
The Spirits return to action next Monday night when they host the Reds, who have been a tough battle in nearly every match up. Game time is scheduled for 6:30PM at Cowboy Field in Coppell, and fans can click here for schedule details or to listen live online by downloading the iScore Central app.
Five Star Ford Players of the Game
Eric McPherson (2-3, 2 R, SB)
Dee Mauldin (1-1, 3B, 2 R, RBI, 2 BB, SB)
Shawn Lee (1-2, SF, R, 3 RBI, SB)