Warriors crush three homers, take NSAA series from V-Hawks
By: Aaron Schneider
FOREST CITY – Securing a North Star Athletic Association (NSAA) series win, the Waldorf University baseball team split with Viterbo University during Sunday’s doubleheader.
The Warriors (9-19, 5-3) coasted to a 15-5 win in seven innings during the opener and fell in an 18-1 loss during the series finale.
Seventeen hits, including three home runs, paved the way for Waldorf in Game 1.
“I told the guys that if we get on them early, they were going to lie down,” Waldorf coach Joe Tautges said.
Sophomore Jacob Tedesco went 4-for-5 at the plate for the Warriors with a two-run blast and four RBIs in the opener. Freshman Jimmy Quirk crushed a two-run shot and provided a double, turning in a 2-for-4 performance. Sophomore Eric Mallo went 2-for-4, going yard for a solo homer.
“We were able to hit,” Tautges said. “Hitters drilled the baseball all game. That’s what we’re capable of doing and we need to that on a consistent basis if we are going to be successful.”
Waldorf junior Bruce Mau scored four runs while going 4-for-5 in the win. Mitchell Keeran added a 2-for-3 performance with a pair of doubles and three RBIs. The freshman from Clear Lake leads the team with 11 doubles on the season. Junior Michael Keeran went 2-for-3 with a double, while senior Ryan McCabe contributed a single.
“We had a lot of production from multiple guys, which was great to see,” Tautges said
Cody Fisher paced the V-Hawks (6-20, 3-5), going 3-for-4 with two homers and three RBIs.
Michael Keeran (2-3) notched the win. He struck out four batters, walked one and allowed five runs (three earned) on eight hits in seven innings.
John Costello (1-3) was hit with the loss. He recorded three strikeouts, issued a walk and surrendered 10 runs (six earned) on 10 hits in two and one-third innings. Brian McGill relieved for four and one-third innings as he struck out two batters, walked one and relinquished five runs (three earned) on seven hits.
Angel Ramos put Viterbo on the board in the top of the first inning with an RBI single. Mark Strazzeri drove in a run on a groundout later in the inning to give the V-Hawks a 2-0 lead.
Keeran doubled in a run during Waldorf’s half of the first.
The Warriors put together a seven-run second behind six hits and two errors. Quirk started the scoring outburst with a two-run shot. Two batters later, Mallo knocked it out of the park with a solo homer. Three runs scored when junior Kellan Mick reached second on an error. An RBI single from Tedesco put Waldorf in front 8-2.
Mitchell Keeran belted a two-run double in the third and later scored when Kellan Mick reached on an error.
Fisher launched a solo homer in the fifth to cut Waldorf’s lead to 11-3.
Tedesco crushed a two-run homer in the sixth to give the Warriors a 10-run advantage.
Fisher went yard for the second time with a two-run bomb in the seventh, pulling the V-hawks within eight runs.
Kellan Mick connected for an RBI sacrifice fly in the seventh. Tedesco delivered an RBI single, ending the game on account of the mercy rule.
Michael Keeran, Kellan Mick and Mallo contributed doubles in Waldorf’s Game 2 loss. The Warriors received singles from junior Ryan Villarreal, sophomore Jordan Jewell and Tedesco.
The V-Hawks pounded out 18 hits. Strazzeri turned in a 3-for-5 performance and six RBIs, finishing with a three-run homer and two doubles. Kyle Petoskey went 3-for-5 with two doubles and five RBIs. Mannie De La Rosa contributed a two-run single, going 3-for-4 at the plate. Ramos also provided a double in a 3-for-5 performance. Vince Lozano closed out the game with two hits, including a double.
“We came out flat in Game 2 for sure,” Tautges said.
Sebastian Frutos (2-0) locked up the win. He fanned four batters, walked two and yielded one unearned run while scattering six hits in six innings.
Viterbo’s Ryan Boelk pitched an inning of relief. He retired each of the three batters he faced, notching two strikeouts in the appearance.
Mau (0-4) was handed the loss. He issued three walks and surrendered eight runs on nine hits in three innings.
Waldorf freshman Michael Miller tallied a strikeout, walked a batter and allowed eight runs (six earned) on seven hits in two innings of work. Junior Dean Mick pitched an inning and relinquished two runs on two hits. Senior Trevor Bauer relieved the final inning and punched out two batters.
Mitchell Keeran scored in the bottom of the first when Kellan Mick reached on an error.
The V-Hawks went on top in the second following a two-run double from Petoskey.
Viterbo scored four runs in the third when Strazzeri and Petoskey each smacked two-run doubles.
The V-Hawks strung together seven runs in the fourth. De La Rosa ignited the big inning with a two-run single. Strazzeri and Petoskey connected for back-to-back RBI singles. Noah Bouley singled in a run while Strazzeri crossed home plate following an error that resulted on the play. Adam Lowe drove in another run on a fielder’s choice to give Viterbo a 13-1 advantage.
Strazzeri went yard with a three-run shot in the fifth.
Zach Benson delivered a sixth-inning RBI double for the V-Hawks and later scored the game’s final run on an error.
“It’s tough when you’re down a large margin of runs all of the time,” Tautges said. “We just got snakebitten.”
The Warriors host Clarke University (17-9) on Wednesday in a 2 p.m. nonconference doubleheader.
“Clarke is a good team,” Tautges said. “They’ve won quite a few games. Hopefully we can come out, keep swinging the bats and make defensive plays for our pitchers to hopefully get a couple of wins.”