By ISAAC DEER
TopSports.news
SILVER LAKE – Hayden baseball coach Bill Arnold saw his team start the season the best way it could have in a non-league twinbill sweep over Silver Lake on Thursday night.
Hayden run-ruled the Eagles, 14-0, in Game 1 of the season-opener and followed that stellar performance with a 10-2 victory in Game 2.
Hayden baseball coach Bill Arnold talks to his Wildcats after a season-opening twinbill sweep at Silver Lake. [Photo by Isaac Deer/TSN]
It would be hard to have a better start to the year than Hayden's sophomore right-handed pitcher Cooper Grace in the season opener.
Grace tossed five innings of perfect baseball in the first game, with Grace striking out 10 batters while only allowing five balls to be put into play (3 groundouts, 2 flyouts).
"Coop pitched well and was ahead in the count from the beginning," Arnold said. "He was really locked in. We made some nice plays, routine plays when (Silver Lake) put the ball in play. It was nice."
Grace handled the middle and bottom parts of the order. Batters four through nine went a combined 0-9 with nine strikeouts. The top three batters for Silver Lake went 0-6 with a strikeout.
Hayden's bats looked in midseason form in the opening game. However, with Hayden's limited time to practice and get live at-bats before the season's first pitch, it was important for the Wildcats to put the ball in play.
Hayden did that with 14 runs on the board and 11 hits while getting on base with five walks.
"I was really pleased because we were actually able to hit, I mean, we've got some work in the cage outside, but we've had minimal live at-bats," Arnold said. "I was happy with how the first game went. Obviously, we made some mistakes that I think we will get better at, but in the long haul, pretty pleased."
Senior two-way player Jackson Summers went a perfect 4-4 at the plate with two doubles and plated a run. Senior Bradyn Rose went 1-2 in Game 1 with a double, sacrifice fly, a walk, and a flyout to centerfield, while bringing in two runners.
Hayden had massive five-plus run innings in the second and third innings, making it difficult for the Eagles to force a comeback with Grace pitching so well for Hayden.
Defensively, Hayden played an error-free game.
Unlike Game 1, the Eagles tested Hayden early in the nightcap and gained positive momentum after having its struggles in the first game.
Silver Lake junior pitcher Elijah Barnes opened up the game with a 1-2-3 inning, forcing a pair of groundballs and a flyout to right field.
Offensively in the first inning, Silver Lake sophomore Logan Cathcart and junior Brody Renfro both got on base with singles before sophomore Dysen Schooler drove Cathcart home on a sacrifice fly to give Silver Lake a 1-0 advantage.
In the top of the second inning, though, Hayden went back to its form from Game 1 by having a five-run inning. With one swing of the bat, sophomore Brady Heinen earned a two-run single. Junior Easton Blosser had a gutsy squeeze bunt and brought home a runner, while junior Evan Lenherr slapped a run-scoring single.
"I thought the bottom of our lineup did a good job of getting on base," Arnold said. "Those guys at the top of the lineup can swing it pretty good, and they gave us a chance to get things moving, and we executed. We executed a squeeze tonight, which was good to see. We were able to lay a couple of sac bunts that turned into big plays for us. I'm pleased with that."
Silver Lake's offense didn't quit. The Eagles earned a run in the bottom of the third off of a one-run single from utility junior Corbin Forgy.
But the two runs in the beginning third of the game would be all Silver Lake would get.
Hayden blistered Silver Lake's defense with its fourth five-run inning of the day, the second of the game, in the top of the fourth inning.
Hayden nearly batted around the order in the bottom of the fourth. Hayden walked four times, was hit by a pitch and a registered a pair of hits. Most of the runners in the five-run inning came home on passed balls.
From innings five through seven, neither team scored.
Hayden senior Konnor Becker and Silver Lake's Schooler pitched well for their respective squads to end the game.
GAME ONE
HAYDEN 14, SILVER LAKE 0
Hayden (1-0) 355 10 – 14 11 0
Silver Lake (0-1) 000 00 – 0 0 3
W – Grace. L – Hinck. 2B – Hayden: Summers 2, Rose, Lenherr.
GAME TWO
HAYDEN 10, SILVER LAKE 2
Hayden (2-0) 050 500 0 – 10 9 2
Silver Lake (0-2) 101 000 0 – 2 6 0
W – Summers. L – Barnes. 2B – Hayden: Grace, Foster.
