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LINESVILLE — Conneaut beat Cochranton 9-1 in its season and home opener Wednesday behind the strong arm of Alex Wilpula and timely hitting down the stretch.
Conneaut got on the board in the bottom of the opening frame. Chase Stewart hit an RBI single to center field to score Lucas Aldrich. Caiden Loucks walked in the next at-bat to load the bases, but the Eagles stranded all three runners.
The next several innings was a defensive battle. Wilupa managed six strikeouts across the second, third and fourth innings to keep Cochranton off the base paths. Cochranton starter Coleton Mattocks struck out the side in the second and kept Conneaut off balance.
In the top of the fifth, Andrew Albert doubled to center field and was brought home by Tim Deeter's RBI single to deep center. It was Cochranton's lone run, though the Cardinals had other opportunities.
"I told the defense they got stronger as the game progressed. I couldn't be happier with them," Conneaut head coach Adam Bronson said. "We work a lot of teaching the game and executing situational awareness. I thought we did a good job of that, especially as the game went on."
The Eagles took a 4-1 lead in the bottom of the fifth. After a lead-off single, Cochranton earned back-to-back outs. The next five at-bats were either a walk or a hit by pitch, allowing the Eagles to pull ahead.
Cochranton was poised to even the game in the sixth when Carroll hit a lead-off single and advanced to third on a passed ball with one out. A hard-hit grounder up the middle was corralled by shortstop Aldrich, who tapped second and fired to first for a double play to escape unscathed.
"In one inning we ended up stranding a guy at third because catch did a good job keeping the ball in front of him. Wip gets a strikeout and then a double play to get out of it," Bronson said. "That's one of those things where it might not be the most talented team I've ever had, but their leadership will steal them games and victories because they're a tight-knit group. They're smart kids and I love this team."
Conneaut's bats came alive in the bottom of the sixth with six hits, which the Eagles converted into five runs for a 9-1 lead. Ashton Headley and Loucks each had a double in the inning.
"I thought in the first inning we came out and were hunting fastballs, but as the game progressed through the third and fourth inning we were more lackadaisical in our pitch selection," Bronson said. "Then that's when the tides turned a little bit. The kids didn't beat themselves and started making adjustments. They know how, but it was our first game of the year and I think it took them a couple innings to get back into it."
Wilpula ended the game in the first three at-bats of the seventh. The junior ace ended with 10 strikeouts and one walk. He allowed four hits and one earned run in a complete-game effort.
Cochranton was out-hit 11-4, but kept the game tight til the fifth inning. It was a welcome sight head coach Jarod Morrison after Tuesday's 15-0 loss to West Middlesex.
"We have a lot of stuff to build on. Obviously there were some mistakes, but there was some positives as well. CASH is a bigger school and we are still trying to find our footing," Morrison said. "We swung the bats a little better today than we have in the past. We need to clean up the things on our end so we don't self destruct and hurt ourselves. We just need to make sure we don't make the same mistakes over and over again.
"We need to catch the ball, make plays when we can make them and not give teams additional outs. If we can limit our mistakes and not let one mistake turn into two and so on, it will help us be more successful."
Carroll, Albert, Deeter and Ben Field each had a hit for the Cardinals. Mattocks went four and a half innings on the mound with six strikeouts and five walks. He allowed four earned runs.
"I like the way Coleton Mattocks threw the ball. I like the way Walker Carroll is giving effort, Trent Hoban, a lot of our older guys and the captains," Morrison said. "Tim Deeter had a good at-bat and so did Andrew Albert to give us that run. There was a lot of different good things today. Overall, it was much better than yesterday (Tuesday)."
Cochranton is 0-2 and is scheduled to play at Franklin on Monday.
Conneaut's Wilpula and Aldrich each had three hits. Loucks and Alex Perrine each had three RBIs. Aldrich, Logan Nottingham and Stewart each scored multiple runs.
The Eagles are 1-0 and scheduled to play at Greenville on Wednesday.
After game one, Bronson said his young team needs to focus on learning the game, but is confident that will come with time.
"I think we need to learn the game more. It sounds vanilla to say, but it's important for a lot of these kids. We have one senior and he is injured, so it is a relatively young squad," Bronson said. "We need to get our baseball IQ up a little bit. The kids know what they need to work and they are very receptive in practice to our feedback. I think it's a matter of time before they really start to peak as a team."
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Cochranton (1)
(AB-R-H-BI) Hoban 3-0-0-0, Mattocks 3-0-0-0, Carroll 3-0-1-0, Burnette 3-0-0-0, Field 2-0-1-0, Albert 3-1-1-0, Deeter 3-0-1-1, Moore 2-0-0-0, Haksins 1-0-0-0, Goodge 3-0-0-0. Totals 26-1-4-1.
Conneaut (9)
(AB-R-H-BI) Aldrich 5-2-3-0, Wilpula 4-0-3-0, Headley 3-0-1-1, Nottingham 3-2-0-0, Stewart 3-2-2-1, Loucks 2-1-1-3, Grafton 3-0-0-1, Perrine 3-0-1-3, Bland. 3-0-0-0, Loch 0-0-0-0, Braden 0-0-0-0, Onderko 0-2-0-0. Totals 29-9-11-9.
Cochranton 000 010 0 — 1 4 1
Conneaut 100 035 x — 9 11 2
BATTING
2B: C — Albert; CASH — Loucks, Headley, Wilpula.
PITCHING
(IP-H-R-ER-BB-SO) C — Mattocks 4.2-5-4-4-5-6, Field 1.1-6-5-5-1-0; C — Wilpula 7-4-1-1-1-10.
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Conneaut got on the board in the bottom of the opening frame. Chase Stewart hit an RBI single to center field to score Lucas Aldrich. Caiden Loucks walked in the next at-bat to load the bases, but the Eagles stranded all three runners.
The next several innings was a defensive battle. Wilupa managed six strikeouts across the second, third and fourth innings to keep Cochranton off the base paths. Cochranton starter Coleton Mattocks struck out the side in the second and kept Conneaut off balance.
In the top of the fifth, Andrew Albert doubled to center field and was brought home by Tim Deeter's RBI single to deep center. It was Cochranton's lone run, though the Cardinals had other opportunities.
"I told the defense they got stronger as the game progressed. I couldn't be happier with them," Conneaut head coach Adam Bronson said. "We work a lot of teaching the game and executing situational awareness. I thought we did a good job of that, especially as the game went on."
The Eagles took a 4-1 lead in the bottom of the fifth. After a lead-off single, Cochranton earned back-to-back outs. The next five at-bats were either a walk or a hit by pitch, allowing the Eagles to pull ahead.
Cochranton was poised to even the game in the sixth when Carroll hit a lead-off single and advanced to third on a passed ball with one out. A hard-hit grounder up the middle was corralled by shortstop Aldrich, who tapped second and fired to first for a double play to escape unscathed.
"In one inning we ended up stranding a guy at third because catch did a good job keeping the ball in front of him. Wip gets a strikeout and then a double play to get out of it," Bronson said. "That's one of those things where it might not be the most talented team I've ever had, but their leadership will steal them games and victories because they're a tight-knit group. They're smart kids and I love this team."
Conneaut's bats came alive in the bottom of the sixth with six hits, which the Eagles converted into five runs for a 9-1 lead. Ashton Headley and Loucks each had a double in the inning.
"I thought in the first inning we came out and were hunting fastballs, but as the game progressed through the third and fourth inning we were more lackadaisical in our pitch selection," Bronson said. "Then that's when the tides turned a little bit. The kids didn't beat themselves and started making adjustments. They know how, but it was our first game of the year and I think it took them a couple innings to get back into it."
Wilpula ended the game in the first three at-bats of the seventh. The junior ace ended with 10 strikeouts and one walk. He allowed four hits and one earned run in a complete-game effort.
Cochranton was out-hit 11-4, but kept the game tight til the fifth inning. It was a welcome sight head coach Jarod Morrison after Tuesday's 15-0 loss to West Middlesex.
"We have a lot of stuff to build on. Obviously there were some mistakes, but there was some positives as well. CASH is a bigger school and we are still trying to find our footing," Morrison said. "We swung the bats a little better today than we have in the past. We need to clean up the things on our end so we don't self destruct and hurt ourselves. We just need to make sure we don't make the same mistakes over and over again.
"We need to catch the ball, make plays when we can make them and not give teams additional outs. If we can limit our mistakes and not let one mistake turn into two and so on, it will help us be more successful."
Carroll, Albert, Deeter and Ben Field each had a hit for the Cardinals. Mattocks went four and a half innings on the mound with six strikeouts and five walks. He allowed four earned runs.
"I like the way Coleton Mattocks threw the ball. I like the way Walker Carroll is giving effort, Trent Hoban, a lot of our older guys and the captains," Morrison said. "Tim Deeter had a good at-bat and so did Andrew Albert to give us that run. There was a lot of different good things today. Overall, it was much better than yesterday (Tuesday)."
Cochranton is 0-2 and is scheduled to play at Franklin on Monday.
Conneaut's Wilpula and Aldrich each had three hits. Loucks and Alex Perrine each had three RBIs. Aldrich, Logan Nottingham and Stewart each scored multiple runs.
The Eagles are 1-0 and scheduled to play at Greenville on Wednesday.
After game one, Bronson said his young team needs to focus on learning the game, but is confident that will come with time.
"I think we need to learn the game more. It sounds vanilla to say, but it's important for a lot of these kids. We have one senior and he is injured, so it is a relatively young squad," Bronson said. "We need to get our baseball IQ up a little bit. The kids know what they need to work and they are very receptive in practice to our feedback. I think it's a matter of time before they really start to peak as a team."
------------
Cochranton (1)
(AB-R-H-BI) Hoban 3-0-0-0, Mattocks 3-0-0-0, Carroll 3-0-1-0, Burnette 3-0-0-0, Field 2-0-1-0, Albert 3-1-1-0, Deeter 3-0-1-1, Moore 2-0-0-0, Haksins 1-0-0-0, Goodge 3-0-0-0. Totals 26-1-4-1.
Conneaut (9)
(AB-R-H-BI) Aldrich 5-2-3-0, Wilpula 4-0-3-0, Headley 3-0-1-1, Nottingham 3-2-0-0, Stewart 3-2-2-1, Loucks 2-1-1-3, Grafton 3-0-0-1, Perrine 3-0-1-3, Bland. 3-0-0-0, Loch 0-0-0-0, Braden 0-0-0-0, Onderko 0-2-0-0. Totals 29-9-11-9.
Cochranton 000 010 0 — 1 4 1
Conneaut 100 035 x — 9 11 2
BATTING
2B: C — Albert; CASH — Loucks, Headley, Wilpula.
PITCHING
(IP-H-R-ER-BB-SO) C — Mattocks 4.2-5-4-4-5-6, Field 1.1-6-5-5-1-0; C — Wilpula 7-4-1-1-1-10.
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