Crusaders fall to Rams on the road
The County Catholic Crusader baseball team started off strong in Wednesday’s road game against Johnsonburg, putting a run on the board in the top of the opening inning. However, that would be the only run the Crusaders would score while Johnsonburg responded with one of their own and then added two more in the third, one in the fourth, and sixth in the fifth for a 10-1 victory.
Four pitchers saw action on the mound for ECC in the contest. Charlie Geci started the game and worked the first 2.1 innings, giving up seven hits and walking one. Frankie Smith took over for 1.2 innings, giving up three hits, walking one, and striking out one. Wyatt Brem worked two thirds of an inning,
Elk giving up four hits and walking two. Brady Leathers took over for the final 1.1 innings, giving up one hit and striking out two.
Luke Zimmerman and Eric Hoffman shared time on the mound for the Rams. Zimmerman started the game and worked the first six innings, giving up six hits, walking three, and striking out six. Hoffman took over for the final inning, giving up one hit and striking out one.
With one out, Leathers singled and Colby Nussbaum drew a walk. Leathers tried to score on a single by Geci but was out at home. However, Nussbaum was able to score on an error on the play to give ECC a 1-0 lead.
Zimmerman hit a one-out single for the Rams in the home half of the inning and then scored on a two-out single by Hoffman to tie the game at 1-all.
With one out in the top of the second, Matthew Gilmore reached on an error for ECC and Patrick Forster joined him on base with a single, but a strikeout and a groundout left both stranded.
Cameron Larkin drew a leadoff walk for Johnsonburg in the bottom of the inning but ended up stranded on third.
Geci hit a two-out single for the Crusaders in the top of the third, and Johnsonburg took the lead for good in the bottom of the inning. Three straight oneout singles by Derek Beimel, Hoffman, and Kaiden Danekas resulted in a pair of runs for the Rams to make the score 3-1.
In the top of the fourth, Forster singled with two outs and then Brem drew a walk to join him on base, but a fielder’s choice resulted in the third out.
Johnsonburg added another run to their lead in the home half of the inning as Zimmerman hit a two-out single and then scored on a single by Beimel, making the score 4-1.
ECC put another pair of runners on base in the top of the fifth as Nussbaum singled with one out and Geci reached on an error to join him. A pair of strikeouts left both stranded.
A single by Danekas, a walk by Nick Myers, and a single by Larkin loaded the bases for the Rams with no outs in the bottom of the inning. With Rocco Delhunty at bat, Danekas was caught stealing home for the first out. However, a double by Delhunty scored both Myers and Larkin to increase the Rams’ lead to 6-1. Franky Miller drew a walk, and then Delhunty was caught stealing with Isaiah Jackson at bat. A single by Jackson scored Miller, with Jackson advancing to second on the throw.
Zimmerman walked to join Jackson on base, and then Jackson scored on a single to right field by Beimel. With Hoffman at bat, Zimmerman scored on a wild pitch, and then Beimel scored on a single by Hoffman to make the score 10-1 before a lineout ended the inning.
Brem drew a two-out walk for the Crusaders in the top of the sixth while batters for Johnsonburg went down in order in the home half of the inning.
With two outs in the top of the seventh, Geci was hit by a pitch and Smith singled, but a fielder’s choice ended the game with Johnsonburg taking the 10-1 win.
ECC (0-3) is scheduled to next be in action on Wednesday, April 3 when the Crusaders host Brockway in their home opener at Berwind Park at 4:15 p.m.
Elk Catholic 1
Lance O’Neill 3-0-0, Kevin Millet 1-0-0, Brady Leathers 3-0-1, Noah Lion 1-0-0, Colby Nussbaum 3-1-1, Charlie Geci 3-0-2, Frankie Smith 4-0-1, Chase Simbeck 4-0-0, Matthew Gilmore 2-0-0, Jacob Ruffner 1-0-0, Patrick Forster 3-0-2, Gideon Cronk 1-0-0, Wyatt Brem 0-0-0. Totals 2-1-7.
Johnsonburg 10
Isaiah Jackson 4-1-1, Luke Zimmerman 3-32, Derek Beimel 4-2-3, Eric Hoffman 4-1-3, Kaiden Danekas 4-03, Nick Myers 3-1-1, Cameron Larkin 2-1-1, Louis Bonini 1-0-0, Rocco Delhunty 3-0-1, Franky Miller 2-1-0. Totals 30-10-15.