WINNING PITCHER Ethan Beard tossed a complete game for the Eagles allowing just two hits and striking out seven VIEW 50 PHOTOS OF THIS CONTEST FOR FREE AT WWWTHEVILLAGEREPORTERCOM
By: Joe Blystone
THE VILLAGE REPORTER
publisher@thevillagereporter.com
PIONEER (May 16, 2024) – North Central took advantage of nine walks and hit batters along with eight Pettisville errors to post an 11-1 victory over the Blackbirds to step into next week’s Division IV District tournament at Bryan.
“This is what I want to see these guys do,” Eagle coach Josh Hicks said after the game. “They sacrificed for each other to move runners after we got them on. We moved runners well tonight, played a good amount of small ball and did what we needed to do to win.”
An error opened the gates right away in the bottom of the first inning when Jackson Poynter got new life at the plate when his pop up behind first was dropped in foul ground.
Poynter then singled to right center and Connor Gendron followed with a base hit to left. Caden Bishop got the next two Eagle hitters which without the drop, would’ve allowed the Blackbirds to escape the first but Johnny Hicks made the best of the second opportunity with a double to left center to plate the first two Eagle runs.
The Eagles plated three more in the third. After a leadoff walk, Ben Pettit doubled to end the day for Bishop.
Cohen Myers greeted reliever Luke Horning with a two-run single up the middle and two batters later, Eagle pitcher Ethan Beard tripled to bring home the third tally and make it 5-0.
North Central opened the gap further in the fifth thanks to a pair of Blackbird errors, Kade Stewart’s sac fly and Poynter’s RBI single.
Meanwhile Beard was slamming the door on the Birds for the first five innings, giving up just one hit, Creighton Aeschliman’s third inning single and a trio of walks.
“Ethan did an awesome job on the mound,” said Hicks. “We trusted him to throw strikes and he did just that. That’s exactly what I am hoping for out of our ace right now. Just throw strikes and trust your defense.”
Pettisville finally dented the board in the sixth when Bishop opened the inning with a base hit, went to second on Kaleb Wyse’s single, then scored on a pair of force plays.
North Central put the game away in their half of the sixth without the benefit of a hit as a walk, hit batter and four Blackbird errors got the three runs needed for the 10-run gap to close the game.
Beard went the full six, striking out seven and giving up three walks and three hits.
N. CENTRAL 203 033 – 11 8 1
PETTISVILLE 000 001 – 1 2 8
Records: Pettisville 5-10, N. Central 12-8
WINNING PITCHER: Beard (6 innings, 2 hits, 1 run, 7 strikeouts, 4 walks)
LOSING PITCHER: Bishop (2 innings, 5 hits, 4 runs, 1 strikeout, 3 walks) OTHER: Horning
LEADING HITTERS: (Pettisville) – 2 singles; (NC) Beard – triple, single, 2 RBIs; Hicks – double, 2 RBIs; Pettit – double; C. Meyers – single, 2 RBIs; St. John – 2 RBIs
