The Morning Journal (Lorain, OH)
Keystone coasts to win
Wildcats kick up offense against a depleted Longhorns pitching staff
Facing a depleted Lutheran West squad, Keystone’s offense erupted for 13 runs, trouncing the Longhorns, 13-2, in a Patriot Athletic conference matchup at Lutheran West High School on May 3.
The Wildcats (11-8, 9-4 PAC)
churned out the bats early and often, tallying three runs in the first, three in the sixth and put the icing on the cake with a fiverun seventh inning, blowing the game open.
Any coach who would look up at a 13-2 score would be understandably
upset, but it was clear these were unusual circumstances for Lutheran West coach Trey Lamb.
“We have played, I believe, seven of the past nine days,” Lamb said. “We were completely out of pitchers. All the pitchers we had out on the mound today had not played a single inning all year.”
The Longhorns (9-7, 8-5 PAC) sent out first-timer Mike Montie (0-1), who was then roughed up for three runs due to a pair of walks and stolen bases. Nick Compton scored on a throwing error, one of four Longhorn errors.
Montie went three innings, allowing four hits and two earned runs while giving up six walks. He was relieved by Mike Berghaus in the fourth.
Keystone’s Kevin Mealwitz and Sean Saterlee followed up with a sacrifice RBI and a RBI single, respectively, stretching the lead to 3-0.
The Wildcats duo did some serious damage in the middle of the lineup, tallying four RBI each.
Mealwitz, a junior, went 2-for-5, including a single and a two-RBI double while Saterlee, a freshman, finished 3-for-5 with a pair of singles and a double and a sacrifice RBI.
“We all hit pretty well,” Saterlee said. “It’s just that some guys have their days, and some guys don’t. Me and Mealwitz, we’re just hitting the ball right now.”
Wildcats coach Bert Fitzgerald is happy with how his lineup has worked out this season.
“Guys are just getting it done,” Fitzgerald said. “We told the boys before the beginning of the season that hitting was going to be our weakness, and if you can hit, we’re going to find a way to get you into the lineup.”
Keystone added on to its lead, tallying four runs between the second and the sixth inning.
Junior Cameron Emerick reached home on a wild pitch in the top of the second, stretching the lead to 4-0.
Matthew Kelling’s sacrifice fly in the fourth scored sophomore Nick Compton, as the lead crept to 5-0. Mealwitz and Saterlee connected for a pair of RBI in the sixth, giving Keystone an 8-0 lead.
Emerick (4-0) had a stellar outing of his own on the mound.
He flustered the Longhorns from the opening inning, mixing in a few pitches, but mainly relying on his fastball, even when some counts weren’t going his way.
“Usually I like to go in there and throw strikes, but that wasn’t really working,” Emerick said. “So, I had to go back and get into 2-2 counts and let my defense do the work behind me.”
Emerick appreciated the extra effort.
“It makes it a lot easier when I’m on the mound knowing I have a defense that is going to back me up when I need them to,” Emerick said.
He worked six innings, tallying six strikeouts while allowing five hits, two walks and one earned run.
Lutheran West broke through in the sixth with Jeremiah Stover’s only atbat of the evening — an RBI single.
David Busch reached home from second on a throwing error to first base, cutting the lead to 8-2.
Keystone responded with a five-run seventh, including junior Michael Mileski’s two-RBI single, and the three RBI driven in by Mealwitz and Saterlee.
Mileski finished 3-for-4 with three singles and two RBI.
Fitzgerald was pleased with the overall performance, but also understood the circumstances.
“It was pretty clear they didn’t have their best pitching available tonight,” Fitzgerald said. “I know everybody is trying to shove in a bunch of games. We are lucky to have a deep staff, but yeah, the offense was awesome up and down the lineup.”
Lamb made it clear his team went in with a relaxed approach.
“We were here to loosen up and figure out how to have fun, and try to get that mesh between having fun and being intense,” Lamb said.
“We just wanted to get ready for the tournament, and having a couple guys play some positions they are not used to, and have some new pitchers get out on the mound. It was probably the most fun we have had all year playing a game.”