Stow Baseball Team Wins Fourth Straight Game

On Thursday the s varsity baseball team travelled to Canton to play Canton Central Catholic and came home with a solid 7-3 victory.

Senior outfielder Klayton Roach was in the lead off spot for the Bulldogs and immediately got the offense going. He pulled a hard grounder just inside the first base bag. The first baseman for Central Catholic made a great effort by diving to his left and gloving the ball. However, Roach beat him to first base with a head first slide. After Roach worked his way around to third base with one out, Senior designated hitter Ryan Damschroder would drive him in when Damschroder hit an infielder chopper on which Central Catholic had to concede the run and get the out at first.

Stow also scored in the second inning. Senior center fielder Jason McPeek walked to lead off the inning. In the next at bat, McPeek broke for second on a steal that pulled the shortstop toward second to cover the bag just as Junior first baseman Dan Garner slapped the ball right back through the vacated shortstop position putting two on with no outs. Junior catcher Chris Choler followed with an RBI single driving in McPeek. Central Catholic was able to regroup, though, and get out of the inning with no more damage.

In the third inning the Bulldogs kept the pressure on. Junior shortstop Kyle Scelza led off with a single. Damschorder followed with an infield hit to second that Central Catholic threw to second and then first in an effort to turn a double play, but both runners were safe. With two runners on, Senior third baseman Ryan Yurkschatt, who hit a grand slam last Saturday, drilled a double up the alley driving in Scelza. After one out then, Garner hit a line drive to right center for another double and an RBI. The Central Catholic coach had seen enough and made a pitching change. The next two Bulldog batters were retired, but Stow led 5-0 after three at bats.

Pitching for Stow was senior righthander Zack Ehrhardt and he would have one of his strongest outings of the season. Central Catholic led off their half of the first inning with a double to deep center field. Ehrhardt settled in quickly, though, and retired the side with three strikeouts as he mixed his fastball and off speed pitches keeping the Central Catholic batters confused. He struck out the first batter in the second inning as well and had two outs when Central Catholic got their next hit, a double to left field. But Ehrhardt again ended the threat in quick work with another strikeout to finish the second inning.

In the third Central Catholic scored one run when the first batter reached on a single and the next batter drove him in with another single. Ehrhardt would then get two outs including another strike out, allow a walk to put two men on, but end the inning with another K.

Stow entered the fourth up 5-1. Junior outfielder Adam Porto walked to lead off. Stow would make two outs, but Porto worked his way to third base and Damschroder singled driving him in for an RBI . Yurkschaatt followed with another double, but that would be it in the fourth and the Bulldogs would go in order in the fifth.

Ehrhardt allowed two singles in the fourth for Central Catholic but retired the side with no runs scored. He then came back for the fifth. Showing a bit of fatigue now after striking out seven in the first three innings, Central Catholic was able to string some hits together and scored two runs. But Ehrhardt was able to work through the inning keeping the Bulldogs ahead with a 6-3 advantage.

In the sixth Stow would round out the scoring when junior outfielder Alex Glessner led off with a single. After a Stow out, Scelza followed with another single putting two on base. After another Stow out, Yurkschaatt reached base on a walk which loaded the bases for Jason McPeek. McPeek chose to be a selective batter as well and he walked which scored Glessner from third. But that would end the scoring for Stow. Sophomore second baseman Greg Grecco would single in the seventh to tally the final hit for Stow.

In the bottom of the sixth, junior righthander Kevin Schirra would take the mound in relief for the Bulldogs. He would retire Central Catholic in order including a strikeout. In the seventh he completed the victory when he walked the lead off hitter, but then got back to back strikeouts on the four and five hitters, as he worked both corners of the plate. The final Central Catholic better hit a fly ball to center to end the ballgame giving Schirra two innings of scoreless relief.

For Stow, Ehrhardt earned the victory with five solid innings of work. Every batter in the Stow line up reached base safely at some point in the ballgame. Scelza, Damschroder, Yurkschaatt, and Garner all had two hits in the game.

Stow is scheduled to play at home on Friday, May 6 against Mayfield.

Editor's note: Dave Garner submitted information for this story.