Whiteoak Wildcats gain SHAC win over West Union
Lead Summary
By
Stephen Forsha-sforsha@gmail.com
MOWRYSTOWN — Tuesday was a battle between the two Southern Hills Athletic Conference champions from last season, and like in 2018, it was the Whiteoak Wildcats who handed the West Union Dragons a conference loss, this time by a 6-4 score at Whiteoak High School.
The win wasn’t easy for the Wildcats, as they were the away team on their home field due to field conditions at West Union following rain at the start of the week.
Neither team scored a run in the first inning, but in the second the Wildcats (1-0, 3-0) were the first team to score with a two-run second inning, taking a 2-0 lead at the end of the second.
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The third inning was full of runs with WHS scoring twice and the Dragons three times, with the Wildcats leading 4-3 after three innings. Both teams scored one run in the fourth inning, and the final run came in the top of the seventh with the Wildcats adding one final insurance run for the eventual two-run win at 6-4.
“They gave us a little bit early defensively, and we took advantage of it and jumped out to a fairly sizable lead. We just lost our focus, and really there is no excuse for it,” WHS head coach Chris Veidt said. “The important thing is we came back and overcame some of those mental miscues and won a big ball game against a quality opponent. That is tough. It is early and you are not really in rhythm yet, and it is a showdown against the team that won the league in their division last year with a lot of people back. We are still knocking the rust off.”
Even with all of the offense, it was the defense and pitching of WHS that also were a part of the conference win. The winning pitcher was Ryan Roberts, who pitched four innings of relief on the mound. Roberts entered the game in the top of the fourth and allowed one run (earned) on four hits and no walk, while also collecting six strikeouts.
The starting pitcher for the Wildcats was Evan Brill, who went three innings but left after those innings due to his pitch count. In those three innings, Brill allowed three runs (none earned) on two hits and two walks. Brill wrapped up his outing with four strikeouts in the no-decision.
“It killed me to have to take Evan out, but he threw 42 pitches that [third] inning. Especially being this early, it was the right thing to do, even though it was hard to do, and he is such a great kid. He’s won some huge games for us, and it had to be done,” Veidt said. “Hats off to Ryan Roberts, who is a senior, a leader and a kid who we haven’t been able to give that many innings to in the past.
“He had a great curveball tonight and really gave us what we needed tonight. In practice the other day, I was like ‘he’s the best-kept secret in southern Ohio,’ and just because of the nature of our team and where he plays defensively we wanted him there, but he can pitch and he did that today.”
As for the offense of WHS, with one out in the second Roberts began the Wildcats reaching the bases with a single, followed with Trey Bogart taking first on an error. With two outs, Chase Butler took first on an error at shortstop, allowing both Roberts and Bogart to cross home plate for a 2-0 lead.
WHS built their lead to four runs with a two-run third inning as Zach Harless (who reached on an error) and Mason Lehr (2-for-4, one run, one RBI) crossed home plate, with Harless scoring on a double by Lehr and then Lehr scoring off a one-out fielder’s choice off the bat of Ty Large.
The Dragons came back with a three-run bottom of the third as Alex Hirsch, Ryan Rothwell and Brandan Cornell each scored a run, all with two outs, as all three runs were unearned. The third out that should have been recorded resulted in an infield error instead, keeping the inning alive.
In the top of the fourth, Traeten Hamilton (2-for-4, one run, one steal) hit a two-out base hit, stole second and then scored on an error in left field to push the WHS lead back to two runs at 5-3. WUHS answered in the bottom half of the fourth with a run as Brycen Staten scored off a two-out single by Hirsch, as Staten initially reached the bases off a single, as that was the final run scored in the game by the Dragons.
WHS added one final run in the top of the seventh inning as Large — who doubled with one out — was knocked in off a single from Bogart for the eventual two-run win.
“Trey’s two-out hit that scored Ty was a huge insurance run, and we needed that emotionally as well on the scoreboard,” Veidt said.
The Wildcats totaled seven hits in the win, with Lehr and Hamilton each having two hits, while Large, Roberts and Bogart each had one.
Next for WHS is a home SHAC game Thursday, March 26 as they’ll host the North Adams Green Devils at 5 p.m.
The win wasn’t easy for the Wildcats, as they were the away team on their home field due to field conditions at West Union following rain at the start of the week.
Neither team scored a run in the first inning, but in the second the Wildcats (1-0, 3-0) were the first team to score with a two-run second inning, taking a 2-0 lead at the end of the second.
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The third inning was full of runs with WHS scoring twice and the Dragons three times, with the Wildcats leading 4-3 after three innings. Both teams scored one run in the fourth inning, and the final run came in the top of the seventh with the Wildcats adding one final insurance run for the eventual two-run win at 6-4.
“They gave us a little bit early defensively, and we took advantage of it and jumped out to a fairly sizable lead. We just lost our focus, and really there is no excuse for it,” WHS head coach Chris Veidt said. “The important thing is we came back and overcame some of those mental miscues and won a big ball game against a quality opponent. That is tough. It is early and you are not really in rhythm yet, and it is a showdown against the team that won the league in their division last year with a lot of people back. We are still knocking the rust off.”
Even with all of the offense, it was the defense and pitching of WHS that also were a part of the conference win. The winning pitcher was Ryan Roberts, who pitched four innings of relief on the mound. Roberts entered the game in the top of the fourth and allowed one run (earned) on four hits and no walk, while also collecting six strikeouts.
The starting pitcher for the Wildcats was Evan Brill, who went three innings but left after those innings due to his pitch count. In those three innings, Brill allowed three runs (none earned) on two hits and two walks. Brill wrapped up his outing with four strikeouts in the no-decision.
“It killed me to have to take Evan out, but he threw 42 pitches that [third] inning. Especially being this early, it was the right thing to do, even though it was hard to do, and he is such a great kid. He’s won some huge games for us, and it had to be done,” Veidt said. “Hats off to Ryan Roberts, who is a senior, a leader and a kid who we haven’t been able to give that many innings to in the past.
“He had a great curveball tonight and really gave us what we needed tonight. In practice the other day, I was like ‘he’s the best-kept secret in southern Ohio,’ and just because of the nature of our team and where he plays defensively we wanted him there, but he can pitch and he did that today.”
As for the offense of WHS, with one out in the second Roberts began the Wildcats reaching the bases with a single, followed with Trey Bogart taking first on an error. With two outs, Chase Butler took first on an error at shortstop, allowing both Roberts and Bogart to cross home plate for a 2-0 lead.
WHS built their lead to four runs with a two-run third inning as Zach Harless (who reached on an error) and Mason Lehr (2-for-4, one run, one RBI) crossed home plate, with Harless scoring on a double by Lehr and then Lehr scoring off a one-out fielder’s choice off the bat of Ty Large.
The Dragons came back with a three-run bottom of the third as Alex Hirsch, Ryan Rothwell and Brandan Cornell each scored a run, all with two outs, as all three runs were unearned. The third out that should have been recorded resulted in an infield error instead, keeping the inning alive.
In the top of the fourth, Traeten Hamilton (2-for-4, one run, one steal) hit a two-out base hit, stole second and then scored on an error in left field to push the WHS lead back to two runs at 5-3. WUHS answered in the bottom half of the fourth with a run as Brycen Staten scored off a two-out single by Hirsch, as Staten initially reached the bases off a single, as that was the final run scored in the game by the Dragons.
WHS added one final run in the top of the seventh inning as Large — who doubled with one out — was knocked in off a single from Bogart for the eventual two-run win.
“Trey’s two-out hit that scored Ty was a huge insurance run, and we needed that emotionally as well on the scoreboard,” Veidt said.
The Wildcats totaled seven hits in the win, with Lehr and Hamilton each having two hits, while Large, Roberts and Bogart each had one.
Next for WHS is a home SHAC game Thursday, March 26 as they’ll host the North Adams Green Devils at 5 p.m.