BUCYRUS — The Redmen baseball team got its first win of the season on a blustery Thursday evening, avenging an earlier setback to Northern 10 Athletic Conference rival Mohawk.
Bucyrus (1-3, 1-1) scored four first-inning runs and limited the Warriors to no more than one run per inning in a 7-4 victory.
Mohawk won the first game on Monday, 4-3. The Warriors are 3-5 overall, 1-1 in the league.
Redmen coach Sean Maudsley called it a solid performance.
“It was a very good effort. The last two days’ practices we’ve really been working on approaches at the plate and our guys took that seriously. I’m really proud of the way they took coaching the last two days,” Maudsley said.
“We talked a lot about what we should be doing on this count and on that count. The kids really took it to heart, listened to what we had to say and applied it on the field today.”
Getting the win was sophomore Cody Pennington. He struck out none and walked 3 while scattering 4 hits.
Bucyrus started the game with four runs on three hits in the first inning, sparked by Weston Delaney and Riley Parker’s singles and a two-run double by Pennington.
Two of those runs were unearned, courtesy of a Mohawk error.
Warriors coach Eric Hoover wasn’t pleased with his team’s showing in that area.
“We all made our share of errors. When you make that many errors it seems like nobody wants to win,” he said. “We just throw the ball around; we just throw it around. No focus on what we’re doing and that’s how you give up four runs in that first inning.”
Hoover also said his team allowed too many walks with four.
“We give too many easy ones, free ones, whether it’s errors or walks,” Hoover said. “It’s been a problem. We’ve been walking way too many guys.”
His club committed five errors and Bucyrus had four miscues in the field.
Reese Hannam suffered the loss for the Warriors, allowing 8 hits, striking out 5 and walking 3.
“He battled out there and came back after that first four. Hitting a baseball is hard to do, so you probably ought to make them try to hit it and we’re not doing that,” Hoover said.
“We’re dancing around too much instead of letting our defense work. We’ve got to do a better job of making people hit.”
Bucyrus added solo runs in the third, fourth and sixth innings.
Parker, a junior, drove in 2 runs with 3 hits. Sophomores Malachi Bayless and Shelton Lewis added one-base hits for the Redmen.
“We came out and hit the ball well. It all starts with our leadoff batter (Bayless). I think he was on base 3 or 4 times for us. He sets the tone for us, and he did that today,” Maudsley said.
The shortstop drew a pair of walks in addition to his hits.
“The two through five hitters hit well behind him. That’s the first time all year we’ve hit the ball hard on the button and not had lazy pop-ups,” he said.
Maudsley said his team committed fewer strikeouts than in previous outings.
“We put the ball in play and made them field the ball. That’s a big plus for us. If we can do that with the pitching we have, I think we’ll be OK.”
The Redmen coach felt the pitching has been solid.
“The pitching was good the other day and was good today. We’re throwing strikes,” he said.
“Fielding it, we were a little sloppy today. We had 4 or 5 errors but didn’t really cost us too much. We backed it up with some good defensive plays after that.”
Bucyrus has a very young team.
“We had 2 juniors and the rest sophomores out there. All these kids played for me last year as freshmen and sophomores. They’re growing up fast,” Maudsley said.
“It’s a tough league to play in. Anybody in this league can win this league. They’ve come a long way from a year ago.
“They listen and they try to apply it. That’s what I really like to see as a coach. They do that that night or at that practice, like ‘Hey, use 2 hands on the ball to field it.’ A lot of fundamental things. They’re like sponges and their baseball IQs are getting better and that’s a good thing.
The Warriors were paced by senior Liam Shellhouse with a double and a single. Jake Coldiron had a pair of singles.
Through eight games, Hoover expects improvement.
“With baseball, you play bang-bang-bang, so the season’s over real quick. So, there isn’t really a lot of time. People gotta step up. That’s where we are right now.”
Box score
Mohawk 111 100 0 4 4 5
Bucyrus 401 101 X 7 8 4
WP: Cody Pennington (0 SO, 3 W)
LP: Reese Hannam (5 SO, 3 W)
HR: None.
Triples: None.
Doubles: (M) Liam Shellhouse; (B) Cody Pennington.
Multiple hits: (M) Jake Coldiron; (B) Riley Parker.
Records: Mohawk 3-5, 1-1 N10; Bucyrus 1-3, 1-1 N10.
Next: Buckeye Central at Mohawk, Friday; Bucyrus at Colonel Crawford, Friday.