Head Coach Brad Ganor’s Wildcats played their first 2017 contest in Ohio on Monday evening. The first game of the year at Baldwin Wallace University went very well for Saint Ignatius.
With Connor Adams on the mound, the Wildcats shutout Cuyahoga Falls, 11-0, setting the run rule into effect after five innings.
Adams moved to 2-0 on the year after throwing 4 innings of shutout baseball, notching 7 strikeouts and allowing just one hit and three walks.
Adams really had his stuff after a full week off from throwing in a game. The senior sat down the first six batters, allowing just one hit through the next two innings. Of his 72 pitches, 43 were strikes.
As for the offense, the Wildcats lit up the scoreboard in the team’s home opener.
Cuyahoga Falls starter Kyle Borton had the thankless task of facing the heavy hitting of the Wildcats’ lineup. Saint Ignatius struck for four early runs in the first inning. The first run of the game came thanks to an RBI single by Connor Adams, scoring third baseman and Paradise Valley commit Erik Demchuk. Junior catcher Drew Asadorian then doubled to center to score Miami (OH) recruit Ryan Jacobs and Adams, making it 3-0 ‘Cats.
The designated hitter for the Wildcats, Jeff Chonko, capped off the scoring in the first with an RBI single to left that scored Asadorian.
The Wildcats grabbed a fifth run in the second on a soft single to left by Tommy Grosel, scoring Mark Geraci, who doubled to center to start the inning.
In the third inning, Saint Ignatius made the score 9-0. Jack Eyink hit a towering drive to center for an RBI double, Erik Demchuk ripped a 2-run RBI triple to the gap in left, and then Tommy Grosel hit a nice fly ball to right that fell out of the Tigers’ grasp.
The scoring wrapped up in the fifth inning after promising sophomore Michael Holdsworth hit a 2-run RBI single, scoring Christian Ramos and Jack Siefert, making it an 11-0 game.
Griffin Hunt came on in the fifth inning in relief of Adams and secured the shutout, striking out two, walking one, and allowing just one hit.
“It was a good team win,” said Coach Ganor. “It was good to see the bats going. Right at the end of the trip last week, we saw the offense start to pick it up a little bit, although we didn’t run the bases really well. But it was good to get back here and not have to play in frigid weather after being in 80-degree weather last week.”
Adams’ ERA continues to remain a goose egg. The Louisville commit now has tallied 14 strikeouts through two starts on the season, giving up just three hits.
“Connor did a fantastic job doing what he does as the ace,” Coach Ganor said. “We played good defense behind him when we had the opportunities. But the name of the game today was offense and it helps to put multiple hits together personally so that you can build your confidence, and I think a lot of guys had the chance to do that today.”
Saint Ignatius, now at 2-2 on the year, will face Mayfield on Thursday and Twinsburg on Friday, both at Baldwin Wallace. Then the Wildcats will head to Tallmadge on Saturday to wrap up the week. Braydon Nelson (0-1) will start for the Wildcats on Thursday, and Tommy Grosel (0-0) will get the nod on Friday.
Cuyahoga Falls falls to 0-4 on the year heading into their two-game series with Wadsworth on Tuesday and Saturday.