CANTON HOLDS OFF ATHENS, 4-2, IN SEASON-OPENER
By: Tim Birney | AthensWildcats.com | March 26, 2021 | Photo courtesy Chris Manning
CANTON — Canton took an early lead with three unearned runs in the home
half of the third inning on its way to a season-opening, 4-2, win over
Athens here Friday afternoon in NTL baseball action.
After a
two-out error kept the inning alive, Weston Bellows walked, and Joel
Schoonover ripped a two-RBI double into left field to give the Warriors a
2-0 lead. Carter Route capped capped the rally with a run-scoring
single to left field.
The Wildcats responded quickly with a run in the top of the fourth inning, but it could have been a much bigger rally.
Sophomore
Lucas Kraft stroked a lead-off single to right field, and junior Tucker
Brown and senior Dylan Merritt followed with walks to load the bases.
Sophomore Gage Warner knocked in a run with a sacrifice fly to trim the
Wildcat deficit to 3-1.
With two outs, junior Karter Rude walked
to re-load the bases, but Canton’s Cooper Kitchen pitcher registered his
second strike out of the inning to end the threat.
Canton added a run in the bottom of the fourth on an RBI single by Hudson Ward to make it 4-1.
Athens
took advantage of four walks in the top of the fifth inning to score
one run, but Bellows, on in relief, registered a strikeout to end the
bases-loaded jam.
The Warriors loaded the bases with one out in
the bottom of the fifth inning, but sophomore Mason Lister, on in
relief, used a strikeout and an infield pop out to escape the threat
unscathed.
In the top of the seventh, Lister was hit by a pitch
to lead off the inning. Kraft followed with a single that sent Lister to
third base, and Brown reached on a bunt single to load the bases.
Schoonover
enter in relief for the Warriors and struck out the first two batters
he faced. The game ended with a play at the plate on a ball that
squirted away from the Canton catcher.
The Wildcats, who left 12 runners on base, outhit the Warriors 6-3 in the game.
Kraft
led Athens with two hits, while sophomore Cam Sullivan singled and
scored one run, and sophomore Jaren Glisson, Brown, and Merritt each
added a single. Warner and junior Jared Peterson each had one RBI, and
Kaden Setzer scored one run.
Kraft was tagged with the tough-luck
loss in his first varsity start. He allowed four runs — one earned — on
two hits, while striking out two and walking four in three innings of
work.
Lister fanned seven and walked two in three innings of one-hit relief.
Athens returns to action Thursday at Cowanesque Valley.
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