ROCKETS FLY THROUGH THE STORM

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LOWELLVILLE OH— Kasen Smith couldn’t be stopped Tuesday, racking up three hits and driving in five runs to lead the Rockets to a 15-5 win over Mathews.

Lowellville came out swinging, putting up a six-spot in the first. Kaden Primous and Cody Nolfi each knocked in a run, Liam Bartlett added another, and then Smith came through with a two-run single. Primous capped the inning after getting plunked with the bases loaded.

The Rockets weren’t done. In the second, Smith doubled home two more, Geno Perry added a two-run single, and Primous drove in another with a sac fly. Just like that, it was 11-0.

Smith tacked on one more RBI in the fourth with a base hit to round out his huge day. Bartlett also had a three-hit game, while Perry and Primous added two knocks each as the Rockets pounded out 13 hits overall. They stayed patient too, drawing seven walks—Zak Sargent and Tyler Tuscano each worked a pair.

Tyler Tuscano grabbed the win on the bump, tossing four innings and allowing just one earned run on three hits. Braylon Bolger came in to finish it off.

Mathews got a solid day from Jake Petak, who went 3-for-3 with two RBI and swiped a couple of bags. Jimmy Pegg also added a pair of stolen bases as Mathews ran five total, but they couldn’t keep pace with Lowellville’s bats. The Rockets hit the road Wednesday for a matchup with Memorial, looking to keep the offense rolling.

HOBAN GETS SECOND STRAIGHT OVER THE LEOPARDS

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AKRON OH— Hoban wasted no time flexing their muscle on Tuesday, jumping on Louisville early and never letting up in an 8-0 shutout win.

The Knights set the tone right out of the gate. Andrew Karhoff smoked a two-run double in the first, and Breyan Stewart followed with an RBI single to make it 3-0 before Louisville could blink.

Brady Wachter kept the offense rolling in the third, ripping a triple to center to plate two more. In the fourth, Stewart launched a solo shot and Colt Andrews drove in another on a double play ball, pushing the lead to 7-0.

Karhoff was just as sharp on the mound as he was at the plate. The righty threw six scoreless innings, scattering three hits and striking out six while keeping Louisville hitters off balance all game long. Peyton Weigand came in to finish it off with a clean inning of relief.

Wachter, Karhoff, and Stewart each had a pair of hits and two RBI to lead the charge. The Knights worked the count all day, drawing seven walks, with Grady Falkenstein picking up two of them. Nico Cella was a menace on the bases, swiping three bags as Hoban racked up four steals overall.

Louisville managed four hits in the game but couldn’t string anything together. They turned one double play defensively, but the damage had already been done. Hoban heads to Steele on Thursday with momentum on their side and all phases clicking.

RESERVE HIGH FLYING ON A MONDAY

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BERLIN CENTER OH— Evan Slaven had himself a day on Monday, driving in eight runs on four hits to power Western Reserve to an 18-0 beatdown over Sebring.

Slaven set the tone early, ripping a three-run double in the second inning to open things up. He wasn’t done. In the third, he slapped a two-run single before unloading a grand slam to left that put the game completely out of reach.

The third inning was a full-on avalanche for the Blue Devils, who dropped 11 runs behind a flurry of base knocks. Hunter Stacy doubled in a run, Peyton Hartzell and Vito Armeni each picked up RBI singles, Ross Watkins added another, and then Slaven crushed the grand slam to put the exclamation point on it.

Lucas Freyn also chipped in early with an RBI double in the second as Western Reserve built a 7-0 lead before the third-inning explosion.

Slaven didn’t just do damage with the bat—he was sharp on the hill too. The righty tossed three shutout innings, giving up just one hit while striking out seven without a walk. Cole Dotson came on in relief and slammed the door with two no-hit innings.

At the plate, the Blue Devils racked up 14 hits. Watkins, Hartzell, and Connor Jones all had multi-hit games, and the team swiped five bases to keep the pressure on Sebring’s defense.

Western Reserve and Sebring will run it back Tuesday. Safe to say, the Trojans will be looking for answers.

IRISH MAKE THE MOST OF THEIR HITS

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YOUNGSTOWN OH— Salem swung the bats well Monday, but it wasn’t enough to take down Ursuline, falling 6-4 in a tough one where the Quakers actually out-hit the Irish 9-8.

Things started strong for Salem. Colin Riesen came up big in the first inning, clearing the bases with a double to give the Quakers an early 3-0 lead. But the offense cooled off just enough to leave the door open.

Ursuline made their move in the fifth, putting together a big inning. Luke Kollar slapped a two-run single to tie it up, AJ Snyder brought another run home with a sac fly, and Thomas Kosovan followed with a go-ahead RBI single. Just like that, the Irish flipped the script and never looked back.

Marshall Boron took the loss for Salem, going six innings and battling through eight hits and six runs (five earned), striking out three and walking two. Ursuline’s Dom Polkovitch started strong but wobbled early before settling down, and Rowan Urbach slammed the door out of the bullpen, striking out two in a clean inning to grab the win.

Troy Gibson had himself a day for Salem, picking up four hits, while Riesen drove in all four of the Quakers’ runs with a 2-for-4 showing. Bairon Exline also chipped in a pair of knocks.

Ursuline got a spark from the bottom of the order too, with Jake Bednar going 2-for-3. Kollar drove in two big runs to lead the Irish offense. Ursuline stayed clean defensively, not committing a single error.

Salem heads to Marlington next, looking to bounce back, while Ursuline gears up for a big showdown with rival Mooney on Tuesday.

POLAND KEEPS FOOTING DURING RAIDERS RALLY

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CANFIELD OH— Things got a little too close for comfort, but Poland held off a furious South Range comeback to secure a 9-7 win on Monday in a game that started all Bulldogs before turning into a nail-biter.

Poland came out swinging in the first, hanging a five-spot on the board. Joe Zuccaro roped a double to bring in the first run, Owen McKenzie followed with a two-RBI single, and Dylan Kelty capped the frame with a two-run double to make it 5-0 in a hurry.

Tyson Tarajack tacked on another run in the second with a base hit to make it 6-1, and the Bulldogs looked like they were on cruise control with a 7-run cushion heading into the late innings.

But South Range wasn’t done. The Raiders chipped away, stringing together sacrifice flies and RBI singles to close the gap to just two by the end of the seventh. Poland’s bullpen bent but didn’t break, and Zuccaro came on to slam the door and pick up the save.

Tarajack got the win on the bump, tossing five innings while striking out seven and working around seven hits and five runs (three earned). McKenzie pitched in out of the pen before Zuccaro finished the job.

At the plate, Jacob Hayes couldn’t be stopped, going 3-for-3 on the night. McKenzie and Zuccaro each drove in three, while Tarajack showed patience with three walks. Poland tallied eight walks as a team and swiped four bases, including a pair each from Hayes and Carmine Tukalo.

South Range racked up 11 hits of their own in the rally attempt. Brennen Klasovsky went 3-for-4 to lead the way, while Nico Papuga drove in two. Andrew Brian, Gavin Hiscox, and Julian Tranovich all had multi-hit nights. Game two between the two conference rivals is set for Tuesday at Poland.

RHINEBERGER PERFECT AT THE PLATE FOR THE PIRATES

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PERRY OH — Kyle Rhineberger was locked in on Monday, going 3-for-3 with a pair of triples and three RBI to lead Perry to an 11-1 win over Beachwood.

After falling behind early on a Beachwood RBI single, the Pirates wasted no time firing back. Justin Costello tied things up with a sac fly in the second, and then Perry blew it open in the third. Michal Niedzwiecki knocked in a run, Rhineberger ripped the first of his two triples to bring home two more, and a wild pitch capped off a four-run inning.

The Pirates poured it on again in the fifth, scoring five more. Cade Henderson singled in a run, Rhineberger laced another triple to deep center to drive in two, and an error plus a bases-loaded walk tacked on two more.

On the hill, Connor D’Astolfo kept it simple and effective—six innings, four hits, one run, three punchouts, and just one walk.

Perry drew six walks at the plate, stole six bases, and kept the pressure on all night. Trent Taylor swiped two bags, while Niedzwiecki and Rhineberger both had multi-hit nights to keep the offense rolling. These two teams run it back Tuesday in Beachwood. Perry will look to finish the sweep.

NEWTON FALLS GETS A SCARE FROM THE WARRIORS

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BROOKFIELD OH— Newton Falls built an early lead and just barely held onto it Monday, surviving a late Brookfield rally to pull out a 6-5 win in a scrappy matchup.

The Tigers wasted no time getting on the board, scratching across a run in the first when Ethan Powell hit into a double play but still managed to bring one home. They kept the pressure on in the second with a couple of clutch RBI singles from Michael Bennett and Wyatt Wheeler, and a wild pitch added another run to make it 4-0.

Brookfield wasn’t about to roll over, though. They chipped away late, scoring on a single, a pair of Newton Falls errors, and a sac fly to close the gap. But the Tigers did just enough to slam the door.

Cameron Huff got the job done on the bump, going the distance and striking out 12. He scattered nine hits and gave up five runs—only three earned—while walking just one.

At the plate, Huff also helped his own cause with a 3-for-4 day. Wheeler came up big from the nine-spot, driving in two runs with a pair of hits. Leland Vargo and Georgie Phillips also posted multi-hit games as Newton Falls pounded out 12 hits in the win.

Brookfield swung it pretty well too, finishing with nine hits. Devan Reardon led the way with two knocks, while Bray Coleman and Mike Pisarcik each drove in a run. The Warriors’ defense turned two double plays to keep it close. The two teams get after it again Tuesday, this time with Newton Falls hosting.

ROCKETS RED HOT TO START THE WEEK

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LOWELLVILLE OH — The Rockets wasted no time lighting it up on Monday, dropping an 11-run first inning on Heartland Christian and never looking back in a 14-3 win.

Geno Perry was dialed in at the plate, going a perfect 3-for-3 with a triple and two singles. He knocked in a pair with that triple in the second and was all over the bases all night.

Lowellville’s first-inning outburst was pure chaos. Cody Nolfi kicked things off with a two-run single, Zak Sargent added another RBI knock, and Perry, Liam Bartlett, and Tyler Tuscano all drove in runs as the Rockets ran wild. Tuscano capped the inning with a two-run double that sent the message loud and clear.

Bartlett got the start and slammed the door early, striking out six in two clean innings. Tuscano and Kaden Primous came in to mop things up, and the Rocket defense stayed sharp—no errors on the night.

At the dish, Bartlett, Tuscano, and Nolfi each had multi-hit games, and Sargent swiped two bags as part of a four-steal night for the Rockets.

Heartland had nine hits of their own, but just couldn’t string enough together to climb back in. Evan Farrell and Owen Bender both went 2-for-3, with Farrell picking up a couple RBI. Lowellville looks to keep the momentum rolling Tuesday when they host Mathews.

SHAKER’S GEM LIFTS LAKEVIEW

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CORTLAND OH— Jacob Shaker was dialed in on the bump Monday night, tossing a complete-game one-hitter to lead Lakeview to a 4-0 shutout over Niles.

Lakeview didn’t need a ton of offense, but they got enough early to set the tone. Nathan Paolucci drove in the game’s first run with a sac fly in the first, then came through again in the third with an RBI single to make it 2-0. That was more than enough for Shaker, who cruised through seven innings, scattering just one hit, striking out three, and walking one.

The Bulldogs played clean behind him—no errors and a couple of slick double plays to snuff out any Niles momentum.

Isaiah Lantz sparked the offense from the leadoff spot, going 2-for-3. Paolucci and Shaker each drove in a pair to pace the lineup. Nicolas Aho was rock solid in the field, recording a team-high six putouts.

Lakeview gets right back at it Tuesday, hosting Niles again as they look to keep the momentum rolling.

BRUNSTETTER SHINES IN LABRAE VICTORY

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RAVENNA OH-   — Landon Brunstetter was locked in on Monday night, going 3-for-3 at the dish and picking up the win on the mound as LaBrae took care of Southeast 7-3.

After three scoreless frames, the Vikings finally cracked through in the fourth. Brunstetter and Nathan Goldner sparked the rally with back-to-back singles, with Goldner driving in the game’s first run. That opened the floodgates.

LaBrae kept the pressure on in the fifth and seventh, piling up runs behind a clutch day from Ethan Magoulick, who drove in three from the eight-hole despite just one hit. Brunstetter added another single in the seventh to finish a perfect day at the plate.

He wasn’t just swinging it—Brunstetter also carved up the Pirates from the mound. He went five strong, punching out nine while giving up just two earned on six hits. Austin Rowe came out of the ’pen to shut it down, tossing two clean frames without allowing a hit.

Southeast got a couple knocks from Bradee Blankenship and RBIs from Nate Muccino and Caleb Miller, but couldn’t string together enough to erase the deficit. Joe Sharish went the distance for the Pirates, striking out seven in six innings of work. These two go at it again Tuesday. We’ll see if Southeast can return the favor.