A WALK IN THE PARK; LIONS DOWN EAST

YOUNGSTOWN, OH- Jake Walker was on fire, driving in four runs on two hits to spearhead Heartland Christian’s overwhelming 17-1 rout of East on Monday. Walker’s magic came alive in the sixth inning when he singled twice, first bringing in three runs and then adding another RBI to his tally.

The Lions’ victory was solidified by an explosive sixth inning where they piled on 15 runs. Paul Bender and Matt Kingston delivered crucial singles, Kaden Stryffeler and Christian Hamilton worked the count for RBI walks, and Drew Gault smashed a couple of doubles. Will Morgan chipped in with a sacrifice fly, Seth Walker added a two-RBI single, and a couple of errors by East also helped fuel the scoring frenzy.

East initially got on the board in the first with Derek Cruz’s line-out. However, Heartland Christian quickly took control in the fourth, capitalizing on an error to grab a 2-1 lead.

On the mound, Brett Walker bagged the win, allowing just one run and three hits over three innings while striking out two. East’s Oscar Agosto shouldered the loss after yielding eight runs over five and a third innings. Tyler Rarick and Walker came in relief for Heartland Christian, effectively shutting down East’s lineup.

At the dish, Walker and Gault each notched a pair of hits, while Morgan led the team with three walks, highlighting their patience at the plate. The Lions drew a whopping 12 walks in total.

Defensively, Heartland Christian was flawless, committing no errors. Gault, in particular, was a standout, involved in seven plays.

Agosto was a bright spot for East, managing two hits in his three at-bats.

Looking ahead, Heartland Christian is set to host Edison on Tuesday, hoping to carry this momentum into their next game.