Another strong pitching performance and hits in key situations helped to push the Catawba Ridge Copperheads to a 12-2 blowout win over the Lancaster Bruins Monday in their first game back from spring break.
Catawba Ridge improved to 9-5-1 on the season with the win, but more importantly are now 4-2 in Region 3-4A with two more games this week in the three-game series against the Bruins.
“Early on this season we were trying to figure some things out,” said Copperheads’ head coach Stas Swerdzerski. “There is a lot of competition on this squad. Things are starting to come together. It is nice to see their hard work pay off.”
Greyson Wild got the start on the mound for the Copperheads as he did everything he needed to do in four innings of work before Catawba Ridge walked things off in the bottom of the fifth on a sacrifice fly from Harrison Wilson.
Wild allowed two hits and three walks, while striking out nine and giving up one run. Blake Silvers came in to pitch the fifth inning and allow one run on one hit while striking out two as well.
At the plate, Catawba Ridge was able to scatter nine hits with Lane Boutwell going 2-2 with two RBI and Owen Noonan going 1-2 with three RBI. Brody Tesimale also went 1-3 with two RBI as well in the win.
Catawba Ridge scored three runs in the second inning on four hits as Noonan hit a bases clearing double with two outs to give the Copperheads a 3-0 lead. In the third inning, Catawba Ridge added two more runs on a hit as Boutwell would double in a run.
The big inning for the Copperheads came in the fourth inning where they scored six runs on two hits, but took advantage of multiple walks and errors by the Bruins. Tesimale had a two-run single and Harrison Wilson added an RBI as well with a single in the inning.
Lancaster scored a run in the top of the fifth with two outs to force the game to go to the bottom half of the inning where Wilson would drive in Sam Dickerson, who singled to start things off for Catawba Ridge in the inning. That 12th run forced the mercy rule for the Copperheads ending the game early.
Catawba Ridge now heads to Lancaster Wednesday for game two of the season series.
Mac Banks: mac@fortmillprepsports.com, @fortprep
