Sometimes, the best choices you can make are the ones that effectively make themselves.
That was pretty much the case for the Blair Oaks Falcons in Saturday's championship game of the Capital City Invitational at Vivion Field in Jefferson City.
With the game tied at 7 in the bottom of the sixth, the Falcons were threatening against Eureka after a one-out double by Adam Forck. On came pinch runner Logan Gratz, and on came pinch hitter Hayden Haney.
After a passed ball sent Gratz to third, Haney hit a chopper against a drawn-in infield that just cleared the shortstop's glove to score the deciding run in the Falcons' 8-7 victory.
Blair Oaks coach Harv Antle said Haney might not have gotten his chance if he hadn't been hitting in place of Brian Patten.