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Baseball Cats Drop Two on the Weekend

By Brendan DeVenney '17, 04/23/17, 9:00AM EDT

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The Wildcats played two games this weekend in less than 24 hours and neither turned into the outcome they wanted.

The first game was Friday night, as the Baseball Cats took on the Avon Lake Shoremen at Progressive Field in the Cleveland Indians Charities Hardball Classic. Every year, the game at Progressive Field is a memorable one and Manager Brad Ganor always tells the players to relish each moment when they are either in the dugout or on the field, as the Wildcats received the chance to play at the site of Game 7 of the 2016 World Series.

Every player on the roster entered the game in one way or another. Whether it was pinch hitting, pinch running, or entering from the bullpen, Ganor made sure everyone had their moment and it was a night of memories for everyone involved.

However, the game itself may not have been one to exactly remember. Facing a very hard-nosed Avon Lake team, the Shoremen lit up the scoreboard in the third inning, putting up 8 runs on 3 hits, and drew 3 walks as they batted around, making it 9-0 heading into the fourth inning. Saint Ignatius went through three pitchers in the inning, but Avon Lake was able to keep the scoring going.

On multiple occasions, the Wildcats might have gotten out of innings sooner, but errors did not help the Wildcats to stay in the game.

Saint Ignatius’ pitchers finished allowing 6 hits, 10 runs, 3 earned runs, 4 strikeouts, and 10 walks in 4 innings pitched.

Offensively, the Wildcats could not get anything going. Saint Ignatius put 16 different batters at the plate, breaking out six hits in five frames.

In the fifth inning, Avon Lake was able to load the bases with nobody out, and eventually brought home its tenth run to end the game and win, 10-0.

The loss placed the Wildcats’ record at 4-7. The next morning, the Wildcats tried to erase the loss the night before, by playing the Comets from Amherst Steele less than 24 hours later.

Braydon Nelson started his 4th game, recently notching his first win last Monday versus Orchard Lake (MI) St. Mary’s. If it weren’t for a 4-run second by Amherst Steele, Nelson might have evened up his record at 2-2.

Amherst Steele, which entered with a 15-3 record, definitely proved why it’s one of the best teams in the state and looking to make a deep playoff run. In the second inning, after the Comets took the lead on an infield error, Jeremy Smith doubled to left scoring two to make it 3-0 Amherst Steele. Then Ryan Glowacki clubbed an RBI single, scoring Smith to make it 4-0 Comets over the Wildcats.

After that inning, it looked as if it was going to be the same story as the night before. But then the Wildcats’ bats got busy.

In the third inning, Saint Ignatius started its comeback. Facing Brian D’Andrea of Amherst Steele, who entered with a 4-0 record, the Wildcats got two on with one out. Then Ryan Jacobs roped his 5th double of the year to score Connor Adams, getting the Wildcats on the board.

With two runners in scoring position, Drew Asadorian brought home Jack Siefert to make it 4-2 Comets.

Then after Erik Demchuk walked to load the bases, D’Andrea walked Seth Warren, walking in the Wildcats’ second run of the frame and making it 4-3 Comets.

Matt Geraci kept it a one-run lead through the 4th inning, and the Wildcats took advantage. Evan Steigerwald hit a blooper over the first baseman’s head to get the tying run on base. Working on a four-game hit streak, Jack Siefert singled Steigerwald home and tied the ballgame at 4-4.

After Tommy Grosel worked the fifth and sixth innings keeping the game tied at 4-4, and Brian D’Andrea did not allow any runs, the Wildcats and Comets entered the decisive seventh inning. Amherst Steele eventually got the better of the Wildcats. The Comets got a runner in scoring position at second base in Kyle Mantin, and then on the next at-bat, Hunter Cassidy singled to left, and Mantin came around to give the Comets the eventual winning run. Amherst Steele won the contest, 5-4.

It was not the weekend the Wildcats were hoping for, as their record drops to 4-8 on the year entering the middle of the season.

Saint Ignatius has 13 games remaining in the regular season, and five games this upcoming week to try and get its record above .500. The Wildcats head to Classic Park on Tuesday to face Olmsted Falls, face Brunswick on Thursday at Baldwin Wallace, play St. Edward on Friday at League Park and then head down to Olentangy Liberty on Saturday for a doubleheader with the Patriots.