High School spring sports seasons have always had that “blink and you’ll miss it” kind of feeling, and this baseball season is holding true to that idea. Since returning from their season opening trip, the Huskies have taken the diamond six more times in just seven days. All of which took place at Mazeroski Field in Cadiz, thanks to a string of weather that pretty much halted action for any school in the area that doesn’t have access to a turf playing surface. Now already a third of the way through their regular season slate, the Huskies have posted a 2-6 record as of this past Monday night.
After dropping the season series to one of the Valley’s better teams in the Indian Creek Redskins back on April 2, two nights later the Huskies took Steubenville Big Red to extra innings before fielding errors and mental lapses collapsed the game on top of them in the 8th inning.
Trailing 6-2 coming into the dugout in the bottom of the fourth inning, the Huskies found some offense off the bat of right-fielder Brady McAfee. McAfee cashed in with a bases clearing triple that plated three runs, the type of hit that the Huskies had been missing through the first four games of season. Tucker Snyder, Reed Arbaugh, and Braden Cook all crossed, giving the Huskies a 7-6 lead. Gage Stoneking and Leland Lopez scored before the McAfee dart to right field.
Big Red answered in the sixth to tie the game at 7-7, but the Huskies stormed back in front come the home half. An Arbaugh single scored Snyder, a fielder’s choice from Cook then crossed Anthony Pelegreen, and McAfee knocked in Arbaugh with a sac-fly that put the Huskies up 10-7 heading to the seventh. Needing just three outs to pick up a much-needed early season signature win, the Huskies didn’t get it done defensively. Big Red posted three runs to tie the game at 10-10 in the seventh, then went on to score 9 runs in the eighth inning to dance out of Sally Buffalo Park having stolen a 19-10 game in thrilling fashion.
However, the Huskies were quick to forget the disappointing finish against Steubenville. Kayden Dunkle and female sensation Aubrey Wood teamed up on the mound to grab the Huskies their first victory of the season last Friday night. Dunkle worked four innings in the starting role, while Wood came in to close the door on the Beaver Local Beavers for the 6-5 victory. Not only was Wood the first female to ever suit up in a varsity baseball game for Harrison Central, she did so with laser focus. Wood hurled through three innings, threw 27 pitches, struck out four batters, gave up zero hits, and earned the pitching victory for a squad that she may moonlight for throughout the season. Her main role is with the Harrison Central softball team, but she played baseball through her sophomore year, so she is no stranger to the larger diamond. Stoneking and Lopez led the Huskies offensively against the Beavers with two singles each. McAfee finished with a double and two RBIs, while Pelegreen belted a triple with a run scored.
Last Saturday the Huskies picked up their second victory of the season with a 4-2 triumph over the visiting Martins Ferry Purple Riders. The Huskies were outhit 7-3, but that didn’t stop them from crossing three runs in the bottom of the fourth to take a 3-2 lead. They added another in the fifth and hung on for the 4-2 victory on a chilly Saturday afternoon at the Park. Dunkle, Stoneking, and Colten Rutter all turned in a single each, leading the charge at the plate for Head Coach Mike Valesko and his staff. Stoneking and Lopez were responsible for an RBI each. Rutter went the distance on the mound, tossing 83 pitches in his first mound victory of the season.
This past Monday, the Beavers returned to Cadiz due to field conditions in Columbiana County, and they proceeded to stimy the Huskies in an 11-3 snoozer to split the season series.
The Huskies are scheduled to see St. Clairsville Wednesday (away) and Friday (home) of this week.
