The News Herald (Willoughby, OH)
Madison tops Wickliffe in nonconference game
After four scoreless innings from both sides, the Blue Streaks got on the board thanks to a throwing error and were able to seal the deal from there in a 2-0 win.
Runs came at a premium when Madison took on Wickliffe in a nonconference game on May 15.
After four scoreless innings from both sides, the Blue Streaks got on the board thanks to a throwing error and were able to seal the deal from there in a 2-0 win.
Madison improved to 3-15, while Wickliffe ended the regular season at 11-14.
Both Madison’s Will Henderlich and Wickliffe’s Shaun Derganc kept the game close for their respective offenses. Derganc allowed four hits in five innings, but the one he gave up in the fifth was the difference-maker.
Truman Myers started things for Madison with a bunt single. Seth Negin struck out, but a dropped ball by the catcher allowed Negin to take off for first. The throw to the first baseman was too high, and sailed into the outfield. This allowed Myers to come home and Negin to reach third. A sacrifice fly by Liam Crouch later in the inning brought Negin home to give Madison the cushion they needed.
Coach BJ Titman said his team didn’t have its best day at the plate. But the fifth inning gave them the life they needed.
“The bunt by Truman really got us going,” said Titman. “We weren’t really swinging the bats that well today outside of our couple of hits. But he laid down that perfect bunt to help jump-start things. Then with the dropped ball, he doesn’t hang his head, rather takes off on a dead sprint to the base and the ball gets overthrown.”
With the lead, Henderlich finished the game to seal the win for Madison. The sophomore struck out nine and gave up three hits and two walks. Henderlich said he had faith in himself and his teammates.
“I just went in there and threw strikes,” said Henderlich. “Even though we weren’t able to hit the ball until the end of the game, I just went out there and threw knowing if I kept throwing gas, we were going to get the win.”
Wickliffe had multiple opportunities to score, but couldn’t capitalize. The Blue Devils left three runners in scoring position and had a fourth in position in the seventh. After stealing second, Derganc looked for more. With the tying run at the plate, Derganc took off for third and made it in time, but was called out due to batter interference with the catcher’s throw. That ended the scoring threat and the game as well.
The game was filled with small errors for Wickliffe. But there was also some good as well. Bobby Plumb had a throw that was on a rope to catcher Jimmy Nemeth in the fourth inning to get a Madison baserunner out at home.
The game had some good and some bad for Wickliffe as Coach Phil Motta has seen all spring.
“That’s the microcosm of our season,” said Motta. “We’ve been in games all year and competed against really good teams. It comes down to the matter of how are you going to handle it. We know what we need to do, we just have to execute and make those plays happen.”
Wickliffe prepares for the postseason and a familiar foe when they host Chagrin Valley Conference foe Trinity on May 18, Madison has one final matchup in Western Reserve Conference action against Riverside May 17.