Nick Fletcher fires a two-hitter and Luke Lashutka and Tyler Hampu help fuel a 10-hit attack, as the JV Wildcats improve to 11-1 with a five-inning, run-rule victory over their archrival. St. Edward, which was handcuffed offensively by Fletcher and Company, slipped to 8-2.
By Eddie Dwyer
Berea, Ohio - Saint Ignatius' outstanding Junior Varsity Baseball Head Coach Cody Dearth and his savvy Assistant Coaches, Steve Nelson and Tim McCoy '12, were in agreement that Thursday evening's dominant triumph over the Junior Varsity Program from St. Edward was probably the best game the JV Cats have played this season.
"I think from top to bottom it was the best game," Coach Dearth said, who will now prepare for Saturday's 11 AM and 1 PM doubleheader at Youngstown Boardman. "One thing we try to do is break the game down inning by inning and pitch by pitch. We constantly preach 'Win the inning,' and today we won every single inning."
After Nick Fletcher racked up three of his five strikeouts in the top of the first inning, the JV Cats took a 2-0 lead in the bottom of the first. Fletcher drew a one-out walk and Luke Lashutka drove an RBI double down the left-field line.
Connor Mays then drew a base on balls and after a double steal and a wild pitch, Saint Ignatius took a 2-0 lead into the second inning.
Fletcher would yield his second and final hit in the top of the second and then go on to set down 12 consecutive Eagles.
With one out and nobody on in the bottom of the second inning, Jake Lang ripped a triple down the right-field line. Tyler Hampu then pushed the Wildcats' lead to 3-0 with an RBI base hit.
A two-out, run-scoring single from Mac Boyle highlighted the 'Cats' efforts in the bottom of the third inning.
Hampu led off the bottom of the fourth with a line-drive single to left field and another walk drawn by Jack Whelan, a two-run single courtesy of Fletcher, some heads-up base running from Fletcher and an RBI ground out off the bat of Lashutka had Saint Ignatius in command, 7-0, heading into the fifth and final inning.
"Nick Fletcher did a great job on the mound today and our bats and our base running led us offensively," said Coach Dearth, who has guided the Wildcats' JV Baseball Program to 37 victories in its last 38 games, a mark that included a 35-game winning streak which dated back to the end of the 2016 season and included a 24-0 record in 2017.
Saint Ignatius, which racked up 10 hits against the Eagles, settled the issue with a three-run bottom of the fifth that was set up with a walk to Boyle, a wild pitch and an error. Hampu's sacrifice fly plated the 'Cats' eighth run and RBIs from Danny Castenir and Lashutka sealed the run-rule deficit ending.
Fletcher, who improved his record to 2-0, threw 69 pitches, 45 of which were strikes.
Lashutka was 3-for-4 with three RBI, Hampu had a 2-for-4 evening with two runs batted in and Whelan drew two walks and scored two runs.
Once again, a tip of the corner's cap goes out to Junior Varsity Team Manager Nick Schmitz for his tireless and on-the-money efforts.
"That's efficiency," said a smiling Coach Dearth when it was mentioned that the JV Cats' line score was 10-10-0.
Have a great weekend and we will see you back at Fisher Field on Friday for the 5 PMVarsity matchup with the Benedictine Bengals and at the annual Varsity Ohio Jesuit Tournament on Saturday and Sunday at Toledo St. John's Jesuit. The Wildcats open OJT play on Saturday at approximately 2:30 PM versus the Bombers from Cincinnati St. Xavier.