by Dan Timmerman,
The Loveland Baseball Tigers begin their season with a Spring Break trip to historic Dodgertown at Vero Beach, FL, the former Spring training home of the Brooklyn/Los Angeles Dodgers.
Game 1 – Sunday, March 29 vs. Stevenson HS Lincolnshire, IL- Dodgertown Vero Beach, FL
The Loveland Tigers opened the 2015 season under warm, sunny skies with a 1-0 victory over the Stevenson (IL) Patriots at Holman Stadium in the Dodgertown spring training complex at Vero Beach, FL.
Junior pitcher Trent Spikes (1-0) threw a complete game shutout scattering 5 hits over 7 innings, while striking out 6, with no walks and 1 HBP. Junior Jay Wilson drove in the game’s only run with a triple, following Senior Josh Mazsaros single in the bottom of the 6th.
The game started out as a classic pitchers dual with neither team really threatening to score through the first 5 innings. In the 2nd inning the Tigers had back to back 1 out singles by Senior Adam Beran and Junior Cade Woolston but each were stranded. In 3rd inning the Patriots put a man on 3rd with 2 outs on a single, stolen base and ground out but the runner was stranded at 3rd.
As it happened the game was decided quickly on back to back pitches in the Loveland bottom of the 6th. Senior Josh Mezsaros hit a long fly ball into the wind which carried just over the right fielder for a lead-off single. Junior Blake Schlesner came off the bench to run for Meszaros. Then on the first pitch thrown to him Jay Wilson hit a shot down the right field foul line, short hopping the 340’ sign on the fence for a triple, bringing Schlesner around to score.
WP: Spikes (1-0, 7 K’s, Complete Game) Hitting: Wilson 1-3, 3B, RBI, Mezsaros 1-3, Beran 1-2, Woolston 1-3, Schlesner R.
Game 2 – Monday, March 30 vs. Russell HS Red Devils (KY)- Dodgertown Vero Beach, FL
The Loveland Tigers improved to 2-0 on the season and in Vero Beach with a 6-5 win over the Russell (KY) High School Red Devils in the first of two games they would play, and win, on Monday.
The Tigers jumped out to a quick 3-0 lead in the 1st inning beginning with a leadoff single by Sophomore Luke Waddell and a walk to Josh Mezsaros Then it was a little bit of déjà-vu all over again as Jay Wilson scalded a hit down the right field line for a 2 run triple. Wilson scored on a wild pitch. In the 2nd the Tigers added another run when Cade Woolston reached first base on a HBP. An out later Senior Zach Roberts was also hit by a pitch putting runners at first and second. A wild pitch moved them to second and third where Woolston was brought in to score on a sacrifice fly by Luke Waddell making the score 4-0
Sophomore Mitch Robinson was the starting pitcher for the Tigers going 6 strong innings. He ran into a little trouble in the 3rd when Russell touched him up for a couple of runs on a couple of hits trimming the Loveland lead to 3-2. The Tigers got one of those runs right back in their half of the 3rd again without the benefit of a hit. Wilson and Junior Colton Lakes took advantage of more Red Devil wildness drawing back to back walks to start the inning. Senior Chris Sackett then sacrificed each up a base with a bunt putting runners at second and third. Adam Beran then laid down a textbook suicide squeeze bunt scoring Wilson for a 5-2 lead.
After the 3rd Robinson settled right in retiring 11 straight batters before giving way to the bullpen in the 7th, where the game got interesting. A bloop single was an ominous start for the Russell offence which saw them score 3 runs to tie the game and put the winning run in scoring position with 1 out and then on 3rd with 2 outs. Junior Chris Dumbroski (W, 1-0) , came in and faced only 2 batters getting ground ball outs on each, the second of which was an excellent play by Josh Mazsaros fielding a high chopper on the short hop and throwing the batter out at first to keep the score tied.
In the bottom of the 7th Mezsaros lead off the inning with a HBP and was replaced at first by Sophomore Cameron Beck. Jay Wilson doubled moving Beck to third and then scored on a throwing error by the outfielder for the 6-5 Loveland win.
WP: Dumbroski 1-0. Hitting Leaders: Wilson 2-3, 3B, 2B, 2R, 2 RBI; Waddell 1-2, 1R, 1 RBI; Beran SB, RBI; Mezsaros 1R; Woolston 1R; Beck 1R.
Game 3– Monday, March 30 vs. Henry Clay HS (KY), Dodgertown Vero Beach, FL
The Loveland Tigers faced the Henry Clay High School (KY) Blue Devils in their second game of the day on Monday continuing their winning streak to 3 games with a 9-3 victory.
Georgia Tech commit Jay Wilson started the game for the Tigers and fought control problems early yielding 2 runs in the top of first to the free swinging Blue Devils who looked like they were going to provide a formidable challenge to the Tigers so far charmed life in Florida. But there are more aspects to the game of baseball than hitting, most notably fielding and in that regard the Henry Clay team was not quite so adapt, and it showed early and often.
With 2 outs in the bottom of the first Jay Wilson (whose been on fire) got things going with a double. Colton Lakes then reached on a throwing error by the third baseman with Wilson coming around to score and Lakes moving to 2nd. Chris Sackett walked. Blake Schlesner came in to run for Sackett. Runners advanced on a wild pick-off attempt of Schlesner with Lakes scoring and Schlesner advancing to 3rd. Adam Beran reacjed on an error by the shortstop scoring Schlesner. With Cade Woolston at the plate Beran stole 2nd and scored on a single by Woolston. 4-2,Loveland, after 1.
In the 2nd inning Josh Mezsaros doubled with 2 outs. Jay Wilson followed with a flyball to center which fell for an error with Mezsaros scoring and Wilson advancing to 2nd. Lakes then hit a sharp single to left center driving in Wilson to increase the lead to 6-2.
In the 3rd inning Beran and Woolston had back to back singles, followed by an RBI single by Trent Spikes scoring Beran. An out later another RBI single by Luke Waddell scored Woolston making the score 8-2
Henry Clay scored their third run in the fourth, 8-3.
In the 4th the scoring concluded with another RBI single by Woolston after Sackett had walked and Beran reached on another Blue Devil error. 9-3
Jay Wilson(1-0) pitched 5 solid innings for his first win of the season. Senior Jacob Albin finished the last 2 innings pitching shutout ball with 2 K’s.
WP Wilson 1-0. Hitting: Woolston 2-2, BB, R, 2 RBI; Lakes 2-4, R, RBI: Beran 1-3, 3 R: Sacket 3 BB, R.
Game 4– Tuesday, March 31 vs. Plymouth-Whitemarsh HS (PA) Dodgertown Vero Beach, FL
The Loveland Tigers continued their winning ways at Holman Stadium in Dodgertown, Vero Beach, FL with a 12-1, 5 inning run rule shortened victory over Plymouth-Whitemarsh HS (PA) Colonials.
The Tigers, batting first and the “visiting team” for the first time at Dodgertown, got out to an early lead on the Colonials when with 1 out Josh Mezsaros sent a drive into the left-center field power alley for a stand up double which was followed by a walk to Jay Wilson. An out later Chris Sackett crushed a pitch down the left field line for a double and driving in Mezsaros and Wilson for a 2-0 lead. The Tigers added to their lead in the 2nd on a lead-off triple by Cade Woolston followed by a single by Freshman Cal Conley scoring Woolston and Conley moving to 2nd. Luke Waddell singled scoring Conley with Waddell moving to 2nd on the throw. Back to back wild pitches brought home Waddell. Jay Wilson then launched a blast to straightaway center field which cleared the fence, 400 feet away, for a home run to make the score 6-0.
The Colonials scored their only run of the game in the bottom of the 2nd on a lead-off triple to right-center and the runner scoring on a groundball to the right side of the infield.
In the 3rd the Tigers got that run back and added another on a lead-off single by Chris Sackett and Adam Beran reaching on a fielder’s choice. Woolston reached base on an error by the center fielder putting runners at 2nd and 3rd. Conley double to left-center scoring Beran and Woolston, making it 8-1.
In the fifth the Tigers put the Colonials away scoring 4 more runs for the run rule victory on a leadoff single by Junior Drew Steinbrunner. Conley then tripled him in, Waddell reached base on an error by the center fielder scoring Conley. Chris Dombroski singled scoring Waddell and Wilson singled scoring Dombroski.
Senior Jacob Timmerman (1-0) started and pitched all 5 innings for the win giving up just 1 run on 2 hits while striking out 4.
WP: Timmerman 1-0. Hitting; Conley 3-3, 2B, 3B, 2 R, 4 RBI; Wilson 2-3, HR, 2R, 2 RBI; Sackett 2-3, 2B 2 RBI; Dombroski 1-2, 2B, R, RBI; Waddell 1-4, 2 R, 2 RBI; Mezsaros 1-2, R 2B; Woolston 1-3, 3B, 2 R; Steinbrunner 1-3, R.
Game 5– Wednesday, April 1 vs. Middleton HS Madison, WI – Dodgertown Vero Beach, FL
Loveland capped off their week at Dodgertown training facility in Vero Beach, FL with an 8-1 victory over Middleton HS (WI) to go undefeated on the week.
Junior Drew Steinbrunner (1-0) pitched 7 innings, scattering 4 hits while giving up only 1 run with 5 strike outs. The only run Middleton scored came in the top of the 1st and from that point on it was all Tigers getting that run back on a leadoff single by Luke Waddell and a fielder’s choice by Cade Woolston. Woolston then stole second and scored on a single by Jay Wilson.
In the 2nd the Tigers took the lead on a single by Chris Sackett. Adam Beran was then hit by a pitch. Both runners advanced 2 bases with Sackett scoring and Beran moving to third on an error on a pick-off attempt got by the first baseman. Junior Zach Chapman came up to hit a sacrifice fly scoring Beran to make the score 3-1.
In the 6th Loveland broke the game wide open scoring 5 runs beginning with a triple by Colton Lakes. Sackett then singled scoring Lakes. Beran reached on another HBP. Josh Mezsaros singled scoring Sackett and Beran. Conley then tripled scoring Beck, who ran for Mezsaros, followed by Waddell singled to plate Conley.
WP Steinbrunner (1-0). Hitting: Waddell 3-4, R, RBI; Lakes 2-2 Triple, 1R, Sackett 2-3, R, RBI; Beran 2R, Meszaros 1-1, 2 RBI, Conley 1-3, 3B, R, RBI.
