MAURO GOES DEEP TWICE; KENNEDY OUTLASTS MOONEY

/in /by

WARREN, OH-Michael Mauro ate his Wheaties on Saturday morning.  Caleb Hadley may have had a bowl as well.

Warren JFK weathered a push by Cardinal Mooney in the fourth inning where Kennedy coughed up eight runs, but the Eagles still won 19-13 on Saturday. The big inning for Cardinal Mooney came thanks to walks by Jack Pepperney and Jay Campbell, singles by Cam Sweeney and Logan Boyd, an error on a ball put in play by Matt Kay, and a double by Zach Hyrb.

Bats blistered as Kennedy collected 22 hits and Cardinal Mooney tallied 13 in the high-scoring game.

The Eagles pulled away for good with five runs in the fourth inning. In the fourth Gavin Shrum singled on a 2-1 count, scoring one run, Jake Hettrick doubled on the first pitch of the at-bat, scoring three runs, and Caleb Hadley doubled on the first pitch of the at-bat, scoring one run.

Michael Bartoe took the win for JFK. The pitcher allowed five hits and five runs over two and a third innings, striking out three and walking one. Shrum and Dominic Ryan entered the game out of the bullpen and helped to close out the game in relief.

Campbell took the loss for Mooney. The pitcher went one and two-thirds innings, allowing nine runs on 11 hits, striking out two and walking zero.

Boyd started the game for the Cards. The hurler allowed three hits and four runs over two and two-thirds innings, striking out three and walking one Aidan Rossi started the game for Kennedy The lefthander went three innings, allowing zero runs on two hits, striking out five and walking zero

JFK ended up launching three home runs on the day. Michael Mauro had a long ball in the third and fifth innings. Hadley put one out in the third inning with the sacks packed full of birds.

JFK had 22 hits in the game. Jaden Rishel, Rossi, Shrum, Hadley, Mauro, Freddy Bolchalk, and Hettrick each racked up multiple hits for the Eagles. Rishel went 4-for-5 at the plate to lead the way in hits.

Mooney scattered 13 hits in the game. Hyrb, Boyd, and Sweeney all managed multiple hits for Cardinal Mooney. Hyrb led the Eagles with three hits in five at-bats.

NO TROUBLE FOR REBELS ON SENIOR DAY

/in /by

COLUMBIANA OH-  Crestview defeated Liberty 10-0 on Saturday as three pitchers combined to throw a shutout. Zack Davis induced a fly out to finish off the game.

Crestview got on the board in the first inning when Matthew Lindsay singled on a 2-2 count, scoring one run.

The Rebels put up four runs in the second inning. The offensive onslaught was led by Anthony Cusick and Carter Blakeman, who each had RBIs in the inning.

One bright spot for Liberty was a single in the fourth inning.

Cusick earned the victory on the mound for Crestview. The righthander lasted three innings, allowing zero hits and zero runs while striking out three. Jesse McKee and Davis entered the game out of the bullpen and helped to close out the game in relief.

The Rebels tallied 12 hits in the game. Cusick, Cayden Booth, and Matthew Strank all collected multiple hits. Strank, Booth, and Cusick each collected two hits to lead. Crestview was sure-handed in the field and didn’t commit a single error. Strank had the most chances in the field with six.

*Powered By Narrative Science and GameChanger Media. Copyright 2022. All Rights Reserved

CLIPPERS LAY DOWN THE BOOM

/in /by

NILES OH-  Columbiana defeated Western Reserve 14-0 on Saturday as two pitchers combined to throw a shutout. Alex Eusebio collected a strike out to finish off the game.

Zachary Pleska led Columbiana to victory by driving in four runs. Pleska went 2-for-2 at the plate. Pleska drove in runs on a sacrifice fly in the second, a single in the third, and a double in the fourth.

Columbiana got things started in the first inning when a wild pitch allowed one run.

Columbiana scored six runs in the third inning. Colin Keleman, Brady Kridler, Pleska, Seth Spooner, and Eddie Clancy powered the big inning with RBIs.

A single by Vance Story in the third inning was a positive for Western Reserve.

Pleska was the winning pitcher for Columbiana. Pleska lasted four innings, allowing one hit and zero runs while striking out five and walking zero. Eusebio threw one inning in relief out of the bullpen.

Parker Reed took the loss for Western Reserve. The pitcher lasted two innings, allowing two hits and five runs while striking out three.

Pleska went 2-for-2 at the plate to lead the Clippers. Columbiana stole 11 bases during the game as three players stole more than one. Devin Daugherty led the way with three. Columbiana was sure-handed in the field and didn’t commit a single error. Keleman had the most chances in the field with six.

Story led Western Reserve with one hit in one at bats.

*Powered By Narrative Science and GameChanger Media. Copyright 2022. All Rights Reserved. 

TROPHY SEASON BEGINS AGAIN AT JFK; WIN CONFERENCE TITLE

/in /by

HARTVILLE, OH- Warren JFK took the lead late and defeated Lake Center Christian 9-3 on Friday. The game was tied at three with John F. Kennedy Catholic Eagles Varsity batting in the bottom of the sixth when “The Dragon Slayer” Michael Mauro doubled on a 1-1 count, scoring two runs.

JFK secured the victory thanks to six runs in the sixth inning. Mauro, Freddy Bolchalk, and Caleb Hadley all contributed in the big inning with RBIs.

In the first inning, Lake Center Christian got their offense started. Wyatt Fether drove in one when he doubled.

Bolchalk pitched Kennedy to victory. The righthander allowed zero hits and zero runs over two innings, striking out three and walking one.

Brant Roberts took the loss for Lake Center Christian (Hartville, OH). The pitcher lasted five and a third innings, allowing six hits and seven runs while striking out two.

Jake Hettrick started the game for JFK. The pitcher went five innings, allowing three runs on four hits and striking out nine

Kennedy scattered nine hits in the game. Alex DeSalvo and Aidan Rossi each racked up multiple hits for the Eagles. DeSalvo went 3-for-4 at the plate to lead the team in hits. Rossi led JFK with two stolen bases, as they ran wild on the base paths with four stolen bases.

Fether led Lake Center Christian with two hits in three at-bats.

CARDINAL QUIETS QUAKER BATS HEADING INTO POSTSEASON

/in /by

MIDDLEFIELD, OH- The Salem bats have been red-hot as of late, putting up 17 runs just 48 hours prior, but on Friday Salem had a tough time generating runs on Friday, dropping their game with Cardinal 8-2.

Salem got things moving in the first inning. Jackson Johnson drove in one when Johnson singled.

Cardinal pulled away for good with two runs in the third inning. In the third an error scored one run for Cardinal and Jacob Bean doubled on a 0-1 count, scoring one run.  Cardinal scored four more runs in the fourth inning. Jackson Puruczky, Troy Domen, and Bean all contributed in the big inning with RBIs.

Bean was the winning pitcher for Cardinal. The fireballer lasted seven innings, allowing three hits and two runs while striking out 14.

Cayden Burt took the loss for Salem Quakers. Burt went five innings, allowing six runs on six hits and striking out three.

Carson Rhodes, Johnson, and Brock Young all had one hit apiece to lead the Quakers.

Cardinal saw the ball well today, racking up eight hits in the game. Connor Callison and Bean each collected multiple hits for Cardinal.

EAGLES ARE GOLDEN; WIN EOAC TITLE

/in /by

COLUMBIANA, OH- Columbiana (16-6, 9-2 EOAC) and United squared off Friday afternoon in a game that was started 18 days ago but suspended due to rain with United leading 3-1 with two outs in the top of the second and runners on the corners.  United got off to a bang with Trent Newburn hitting a double to the left-center field gap off Riley McElwain who took over for Alex Eusebio on the mound.  United’s double scored both runners on base, taking the Eagles to a 5-1 lead.

McElwain settled down after that allowing only two more hits, one an infield single and the other a flair to left.  McElwain would surrender one run in his 4.1 innings of work while striking out four.  Seth Spooner pitched the final inning striking out one for the Clippers.

After being down by four, the Clippers would go scoreless in the 2nd but would start chipping away scoring one run in the 3rd and two more in the 4th.  After a United run in the sixth the Clippers immediately responded with a run of its own in the bottom frame.

In the seventh inning, Columbiana would mount a rally looking for the tying run.  A one-out single by Zachary Pleska got the inning started.  Pleksa would move to second on a wild pitch which then allowed United to intentionally walk Seth Spooner.  A Clipper flyout followed but Alex Eusebio would keep the Columbiana hopes alive with an infield single to short.  However, that was all the Clippers had as the final out was recorded on a strikeout giving United the victory.  With the win, United clinched the EOAC championship.

Devin Daugherty finished the game with two doubles while Alex Eusebio and Zachary Pleska each also had two hits.  Seth Spooner tripled for Columbiana.

Trent Newburn finished with a double and two walks and a pair of RBI,  Grant Knight had three hits in the game and scored a run.

Newburn went a complete game for the Eagles, allowing eight hits, five runs (2 earned) and striking out ten in the victory.

Columbiana will travel to Niles Saturday morning for a match-up with Western Reserve at Eastwood Field.  The first pitch is scheduled for 11 AM.

*Contributed by Ryan Wolf

CLEAR FOR TAKEOFF; AVIATORS STIFLE HEARTLAND

/in /by

ALLIANCE, OH- Heartland Christian watched the game slip away early and couldn’t recover in an 11-5 loss to Alliance on Friday. Alliance scored on a groundout by Blackwell in the first inning and a single by Bugara in the second inning.

The Lions struggled to put runs on the board and had a tough time defensively containing Alliance, giving up 11 runs.

Alliance fired up the offense in the first inning, when Blackwell grounded out, scoring one run.

Heartland notched four runs in the fourth inning. Brett Walker had an RBI error in the inning to lead the run-scoring.

Alliance scored six runs in the third inning. Alliance’s offense in the inning was led by Taylor , Biggers, Young , and Davis, all driving in runs in the frame.

Bell got the start for Alliance. Bell surrendered five runs on seven hits over six innings, striking out two and walking one.

Jake Kling led things off on the pitcher’s mound for Heartland. The pitcher surrendered two runs on two hits over one and two-thirds innings. Will Morgan threw four and a third innings out of the bullpen.

Nate Garzanich led Heartland Christian with two hits in four at-bats.

Alliance tallied seven hits. Bruni, Blackwell, and Bugara all managed multiple hits for Alliance.

IRISH SETTLES HUBBARD EARLY TO GET BACK ON TRACK

/in /by

STRUTHERS, OH- The Hubbard Eagles fell behind early and couldn’t come back in an 11-0 loss to Ursuline on Friday. Ursuline took the lead on a single in the first inning.

Ursuline got things moving in the first inning, when Jack Ericson singled on the first pitch of the at-bat, scoring two runs.

A single by Johnny Reyes in the second inning was a positive for Hubbard.

Andrew Kirila toed the rubber for Ursuline. The bulldog surrendered zero runs on three hits over five innings, striking out nine and walking one.

Ryan Murray was on the hill for Hubbard. Murray surrendered eight runs on seven hits over two innings, striking out one. Gabe Rusnak and Alex Yoder entered the game as relief, throwing one inning and one inning respectively.

Reyes, Andrew Kali, Gino Madeline, and Rusnak each managed one hit to lead the Eagles.

Ursuline tallied ten hits. Luca Ricchiuti, Joe Carosella, and Tom Groner each had multiple hits for Ursuline. Ursuline didn’t commit a single error in the field. Jaxson Gruber had the most chances in the field with eight.

FLASH BANG; CHAMPION EARNS SHARE OF MVAC TITLE

/in /by

WARREN, OH- Nate Holt had a night on Friday for Champion, allowing zero runs and besting Crestview by a score of 2-0

The pitching was strong on both sides. Holt struck out six, while Carter Blakeman sat down ten.

One bright spot for Crestview was a single by Ethan Feezle in the second inning.

Holt was the winning pitcher for the Flashes. The ace allowed six hits and zero runs over seven innings, striking out six and walking one.

Blakeman took the hard luck loss for Crestview. The hurler went six innings, allowing two runs on four hits, striking out ten and walking one.

Micah Nolan led the Flashes with two hits in two at bats.

The Rebs racked up six hits. Matt Strank and Feezle all managed multiple hits for Crestview.

MCELWAIN LEADS THE WAY

/in /by

COLUMBIANA OH-  Few players command a generous amount of respect by just stepping on the pitching mound in the middle of the diamond. Riley McElwain is one of those players. One of The Clippers Aces, senior leader, and 2022 Big Dog Candidate, Riley is known for turning in superstar performances. Sporting an earned run average (ERA) under 1 for over half the season is a testament of that. Constantly pitching up divisions, Columbiana wastes no game in getting its athletes ready for postseason play. If there is one guy ready to make a run, it’s McElwain. As The Clippers got the 3 seed in Division 3, they will look to host the winner of #14 Kirtland vs. #22 Jefferson on Wednesday, May 18th. 

As Riley and Columbiana await the start of the tournament, you can catch this EXCLUSIVE interview with The Columbiana southpaw on YSN Running Point.

*Contributed By YSN’s Ty Bartell

Presented By: