Brian Hagberg
RUSSELL, Pa. – Garrett Jensen pitched five solid innings and the top of the lineup scored seven runs to help lead Eisenhower to its first win of the season, 7-3, over visiting Maplewood on Saturday.
The Knights broke the game open with a 3-run fifth inning, then scored two more in the sixth to put the game away. It was exactly the kind of performance coach Clint Corse wanted to see from his team just days after surrendering the lead in a loss to Cochranton.
“They learned to push past that anxiety,” Corse said. “It’s the emotional component of baseball. We’re a young team. They’re learning how to play as a team and manage their emotions and manage the tempo of the game. So it was nice to see. That’s actually one of the things that we talked about after that loss is managing that emotional state and being able to compete.”
Part of pushing past that anxiety was Jensen’s ability to bear down when his team needed it most. Maplewood put runners in scoring position in each of the first four innings, but Jensen was able to get three strikeouts and induce a pop out to end the threat each time.
“We just got to focus on the batter at the plate, don’t worry about the guys on. It’s the best way to get through,” Jensen said.
See Jensen’s full postgame interview:
Eisenhower was able to take advantage with RISP in the home half of the first inning.
Brok English drew a leadoff walk and advanced to third on Cole Chapman’s single. English scored when Jakubczak grounded into a fielder’s choice to give the Knights a 1-0 lead. One out later, Zach Jerman singled in Jakubczak to make it 2-0 after one.
The top three in the Knights’ order were tough outs all game for the Tigers. All told, English, Chapman, and Jakubczak were 5-8 with all seven runs scored, two RBIs, and drew four walks. In 12 plate appearances, the trio reached base safely 10 times.
Neither team had a runner cross the plate again until the fifth.
Connor Burns led off the top of the inning with a single, then stole second. With one out, Burns advanced to third on a wild pitch. Elliott Beuchat drew a walk to put runners on the corners. Burns scored when Stuart Hochstetler grounded out to second to cut the lead to 2-1.
The Knights answered right back in the home half. English singled, Chapman walked, and Jakubczak singled to load the bases. Shawn Pascuzzi drew a walk to bring in English. Chapman scored on a passed ball, then, one out later, Jakubczak also scored on a passed ball to push the Eisenhower lead to 5-1.
“I think we hit better than we have in any other game today and they held it together when it got tight,” Corse said.
The Tigers looked poised to put up a crooked number of their own in the sixth. Noah Burk walked, then stole his way to third before Jacob Woge was hit by a pitch to put runners at the corners. Ethan Peterson followed with a ground ball to third. Derek Childs fielded the ball and threw home to get Burk. Just as English threw to pitcher Spencer Wynn, Peterson broke for second. English threw to Chapman at second who tagged Peterson for the second out.
Woge scored on the play, but it cleared the bases and with two outs, Wynn got Jesse McFadden to pop out to end the inning.
“We just took that chance and gave them a run for two outs, but that’s worth a spend,” Corse said.
English and Chapman walked to start the bottom of the inning and Jakubczak followed with an RBI single. One out later, Jerman was hit by a pitch to load the bases and Wynn hit a liner to right to bring in Chapman and make it 7-2.
Beuchat hit a 1-run single with one out in the seventh, but Wynn got a ground out and a pop out to end it.
McFadden took the loss giving up four runs, all earned, on six hits over four innings with two walks and no strikeouts. Peterson allowed three runs, all earned, on one hit and five walks, striking out one. Levi Willison gave up two hits and struck out three in a scoreless inning of relief.
Burns had two hits for the Tigers, while Beuchat, Hochstetler, and Peterson each drove in a run.
Jensen picked up the win. He gave up just one earned run on three hits and four walks while striking out seven in five innings. Wynn allowed two earned runs on two hits in two innings. He didn’t issue a walk or record a strikeout.
Jakubczak had two hits and two RBIs. Jerman had two hits a drove in a run. Pascuzzi and Wynn each drove in a run, while English had a pair of hits and scored three times.
