TUESDAY, MARCH 28, 2000
Prep baseball
Calvert opens season with comeback
Sandusky St. Mary's grabbed 6-0 lead after 1 1/2 innings, but Calvert rallied for five runs in the second and at least three per inning from there in a 17-7 win over the Panthers.
The Senecas scored three runs in the third to take the lead for good and tacked on five in fourth and four in the fifth.
"Ten days ago I'm watching these guys play basketball in Toledo, and we've only had a couple of days of real practice," Calvert coach Rick Demith said. "In some ways it seems like we didn't miss a beat because we hit the ball when we really needed to hit the ball tonight. Their pitcher walked four guys to start the second inning, and we started hitting the ball from there.
"We're still very far from where we need to be. We can hit the ball a lot better. We did run the bases well tonight, and when Eric (Lee) gets on base and steals, we're tough to stop because it opens some other things up for us."
Lee finished the game with two hits, an RBI and three runs scored in addition to three stolen bases. He was also the winning pitcher, striking out three and walking six in five innings.
Robbie Ritzler and Bart Fisher fueled the Calvert offense with a three-run homer each. Ritzler also hit a double, scored two runs and had four RBI, and Fisher scored two runs.
Jon Raitz (double) had two runs, two hits and two RBI, and Dustyn Risner (two runs, two RBI), Scott Frank (two runs, two RBI) and Eric Puffenberger (RBI) added hits. Joe Harvey and Andy Ritzler scored two runs each.
Chas Marcini had three hits and two runs for the Panthers, and Mike Hallock had a two-run double and scored a run. Sean Finneran took the loss on the mound.
Calvert hosts Norwalk St. Paul Wednesday.
NEW WASHINGTON -- Mohawk senior Mike Chester had a pair of home runs en route to three hits, two runs and eight RBI and was also the winning pitcher as Mohawk bombed Buckeye Central in the first game of the season, 20-1.
Chester went three innings of no-hit ball, striking out five and walking one before reliever Kraig Lease pitched the final two innings. Lease gave up one hit, striking out three and walking four.
The Warriors pounded out 18 hits. Zach Hufford and Chad Sowers complimented Chester with three hits apiece. Hufford scored twice and drove in a run and Sowers had three runs scored and an RBI. Nate Lofay had two hits and scored three runs.
T.J. Marcotte had a three runs and three RBI to go with his hit, while Zach Ekleberry (three runs, RBI), Ryan Holman (run), Ryan Hall, Brandt Weininger and Mark Gaietto (run, two RBI) also singled. Wes Smith and Grant Good scored runs. The Warriors scored 11 runs in the fourth inning.
"I'm really pleased that everybody got to play and I'm pleased with the way we hit the ball," Mohawk coach Phil Kimmet said. "We scrimmaged a team of ex-Heidelberg players and we scrimmaged a men's team in Tiffin, and I think that prepared our kids. We only had one error, and it wasn't until the end, which was nice to see. We hit and fielded the ball real well."
Mohawk hosts Columbian tonight.
St. Wendelin wins in final frame
FOSTORIA -- Brett Taylor crossed the plate with the winning run in the bottom of the seventh as St. Wendelin won its first game over Eastwood, 3-2.
St. Wendelin scored twice in the bottom of the first, but Eastwood tied the game with runs in the third and fourth innings. Taylor opened the SW seventh with a base hit off Eagle pitcher Rob Failor. Mike Meyers followed with a bunt single, and Matt Saunders sacrificed the runners to second and third. After Jeremy Feasel was intentionally walked to load the bases, Taylor scored the game-winner on Jon Faber's fielder's choice grounder to short.
"It was a good ball game," St. Wendelin coach Paul Feasel said. "Ryan Smith gave us some quality innings in his first career start, and we look for things to get better offensively and defensively as we get more games under our belts."
Sean Reiter was the winning pitcher in 1 1/3 innings of relief. He gave up just one hit, struck out two and did not walk a batter. Smith gave up two runs on two hits in 5 2/3. He struck out four and walked five. Failor struck out five and walked four in a complete game loss.
Jeremy Feasel, Shannon Dixie and Taylor each had a hit and a run scored for the Mohawks, and Smith added a hit and an RBI. Nick Fondessy singled.
St. Wendelin tries to make it 2-for-2 tonight at home against St. Wendelin.
Big inning lifts Rams on opening day
UPPER SANDUSKY -- Kenton held a 1-0 edge after the top of the third and 3-2 after the top of the fourth, but Upper Sandusky scored five times in the sixth inning and beat the Wildcats, 8-3.
Kevin Ward struck out two batters in three innings in picking up the win for Upper. Brett Anderson started, giving up four hits in four innings with four strikeouts and two walks.
The Rams pounded out 12 hits, and five players had two hits apiece. Ward had a run and an RBI with his two base hits, and Anderson had two singles and a run scored.
Sophomore Chad Karg provided much of the offense, doubling twice and driving in three runs, also scoring a run. Tyson Geiser (two runs) and Blake Ross (RBI) had two hits each.
Upper Sandusky entertains New Riegel today.