RICHMOND, Ind. – The Centerville baseball team opened the season on Saturday as the Bulldogs posted an 8-2 victory over the Seton.
“I’m really happy with the way we hit the ball at the end of the ball game, especially going to the opposite field,” Centerville coach Tracey Crull said of his team’s performance in its opener on John Cate Field at McBride Stadium.
The Cardinals picked the early lead with a run the top of the first when Jake Leverton had an infield single to score Nick Mathews, who had doubled.
The Bulldogs tied the contest in the bottom of the fourth against Seton starter Lou Falcone when Kaito Nyunoya slapped a run-scoring single to left.
“The bats were a little slow to start with, but Falcone had us off balance,” Crull said. “Defensively, we played well and I thought we pitched well.”
Falcone worked four innings for the Cardinals (0-2) and surrendering two hits with four strikeouts.
Leverton came through again in the fifth for the Cardinals to make it 2-1 on a single to shallow center off Centerville pitcher Dalton Stevens, who was in his second of four frames on the mound.
“That’s a sophomore that just threw bullets,” Crull said of Stevens (1-0), who got the win as he gave up just the one score with four strikeouts. “He pitched a heck of a ball game.”
Centerville went on top with three runs in the its half of the fifth. Dante Torres scored on a passed ball, while Blake Shook knocked the the go-ahead run on a ground out. Oran VanSkyock added a sacrifice fly and it was 4-2.
Nolan Witte’s two-run single in the sixth put the Bulldogs in front 6-2. Another two-run single by Chris Pritchett made it 8-2.
Witte finished with three hits for the Bulldogs as Vince Mosey led Seton with three hits.
The Bulldogs (1-0) visit Monroe Central on Monday..
Box Score
Seton 100 010 0 – 2 8 1
Centerville 000 134 X – 8 9 0
Batteries – Seton: Lou Falcone, Vince Mosey (L) and Tyson Bray. Centerville: Matt Stamper, Dalton Stevens (W) and Bennett Walther. 2B – Seton: Vince Mosey 2. 3B – Seton: Nick Mathews. LOB – Seton 7, Centerville 7.