Ottawa tops Seneca 13-5 in season opener for both teams

SENECA — The Ottawa baseball team trailed Seneca by four runs after the first three innings but bounced back to score 12 times over the final four frames to post a 13-5 victory in each team’s season opener on Monday.

The Pirates used the combined pitching efforts of starter Colin Fowler (4 IP, 8 H, 5 ER, 2 BB, 5 K) and Lucas Farabaugh (Win, 3 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 7 K).

“We were pretty efficient on the mound, which was one thing I was hoping to see today,“ Ottawa coach Levi Ericson said. ”Colin and Lucas were both on pitch counts, but they both pitched longer than I was expecting because they were in the strike zone consistently. To only walk two in the first seven innings of the season was nice to see.”

The Pirates scored in the top of the first on an RBI double by Jackson Mangold. The Fighting Irish tied the game in the bottom of the inning on a run-scoring groundout by Cam Shriey.

Seneca then plated four runs in the third, on RBI ground outs from Shriey and Landyn Ramsey, and a RBI single by Casey Klicker.

Ottawa tied the game with two runs each in the fourth (wild pitch and Mangold sacrifice fly) and fifth (RBI hits by Jaxon Cooper and Farabaugh), then took the lead for good with a run scored on an error.

“I thought we had better at-bats as the game went on,” Ericson said. “The first few innings we had strikeouts in key situations, but after that I think with guys getting a second and third at-bat, thy started to relax, get deeper into counts, and did a great job hitting with two strikes.

“I also thought we played a solid game in the field; made all of the plays we needed to make. All around I’m pleased with how we came out and played to open the season.”

Ottawa then scored seven runs in the top of the seventh, with Adam Swanson smacking a two-run single, and Mangold, Brendyn Fuchs, Colt Bryson and Farabaugh also driving in runs.

Farabaugh and Swanson each had two hits, and the former and Mangold each drove in a trio of runs.

Paxton Giertz, Keegan Murphy and Klicker all had two hits apiece for the hosts.

The Irish used five pitchers in the contest, starter Paxton Giertz (3 IP, 3 H, 0 ER, 2 BB, 6 K), Jace Mitchell (1 IP, 0 H, 0 ER, 1 BB, 1 K), Brody Rademacher (Loss, 1 IP, 2 H, 1 ER, 2 BB, 1 K), Grant Siegel (1⅔ IP, 1 H, 6 ER, 5 BB), Vinny Corrado (0⅓ IP, 2 H, 1 ER).

“We had so many guys getting their first experience in a varsity baseball game today,“ Seneca coach Tim Brungard said. “We saw two really good pitchers that had command of the strike zone and I thought for the most part, especially early, we were able to put some good at-bats together.

“I really thought we showed the baseball team we are going to be in the first four innings. We built a 5-1 lead, and the way we scored runs, with bunts, situational hitting and smart baserunning, it’s the way we are going to have to play the game to be successful. If we make a couple of more plays defensively, we were right in the game late. The mistakes we made aren’t mistakes we’ll make a couple weeks from now. This was a game where we have a lot to build on.

“For Jade, Grant and Vinny, this was their first time pitching in a varsity game. Today gave them a great ideal of the things that they need to work on moving forward.”

Ottawa is scheduled back in action Tuesday at Metamora, while Seneca is at Gardner-South Wilmington on Wednesday.