ERIE - Eisenhower moved into first place in Region 4 with a 7-5 win over Mercyhurst Prep at Ainsworth Field.
"I'm very happy with the way we're playing right now," said Eisenhower coach Jon Vincent, whose Knights have won three of four games and are 4-4 overall. Eisenhower improves to 2-0 in the four-team region, and the Lakers fall to 2-1.
Aaron Jackson is making an early case for Region Pitcher of the Year, but his bat got things started on Friday.
Article Photos
Times Observer Photo by Jonathan McAfoos
Heading Home
Warren’s Hank Morrison rounds the bases after smashing a two-run homer in the first inning of Friday’s game against Fort LeBoeuf. Morrison’s homer got the Dragons on the board and they never looked back, taking the game by a score of 12-4.
Jackson's grand slam highlighted a six-run second inning, and he pitched his way through a rough fourth inning to improve to 3-1 overall.
"Every time he goes out there he gives us a chance to win," said Vincent. "The kids are starting to buy in that we have a chance to win. We're playing hard. We've had a couple bad games, but we've had several good games."
The Knights won just one game last season - a season that Jackson missed due to injury.
Up 6-0, Jackson loaded the bases with a walk and hit a batter to force in a run. A two-run single ended a three-run fourth for Mercyhurst Prep, which trailed 6-4 after four innings.
"He beared down," said Vincent of Jackson, who finished the win with 10 strikeouts. Jackson has 55 strikeouts over four starts on the mound this season.
Eric Hastings' triple to lead off the sixth inning helped get the Knights an important insurance run. The next batter, Aaron Lundmark, squeezed him home for a 7-4 lead.
The Knights host Youngsville in a important region game on Monday.
EISENHOWER (7): ab-r-h-rbi, Hastings 2b 3-1-1-1, Lundmark rf 3-0-0-1, Jackson p 4-1-2-4, Hunt ss 4-0-0-0, Schenck 1b 0-0-0-0, Rutsky dh 4-0-1-0, Spicer 3b 4-1-0-0, Williams c 3-1-1-0, Arford lf 4-1-2-1, Fedorchuk cf 2-1-1-0. Totals 31-7-8-7.
MERCYHURST PREP (5): Lehman ss 2-1-1-0, Peebles c 4-0-0-0, Niedzwiecki cf 0-0-0-0, Upperman dh 3-1-1-0, Perz lf-p 4-0-0-0, Forcier rf 4-0-0-0, Fugagli 1b 1-2-0-0, Corritore p-rf 2-1-1-0, Bossolt 3b 1-0-0-0, Haas p-lf 1-0-0-0, Post 2b 3-0-1-2. Totals 25-5-5-2.
Eisenhower 060 001 0 - 7 8 2
Mercyhurst Prep 001 301 0 - 5 5 2
2b-Arford (E), Rutsky (E), Upperman (M). 3b-Hastings (E). HR-Jackson (E), grand slam. WP-Jackson. LP-Corritore.
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Warren 12, Fort LeBoeuf 4
Hank Morrison smacked a two-run home run and the Warren bats came alive in a 12-4 win over Fort LeBoeuf on Friday in a crucial Region 8 matchup at Old Legion Field.
The Dragons (5-1 overall, 2-1 in region) exploded for five runs in the first and never looked back. Morrison's homer started off the scoring and Preston McMeans, Chris Danielson and Dan Maeder followed with RBI hits.
The second innning was more of the same. Morrison again started the scoring with an RBI groundout. Ed Dorunda followed with an RBI single and Matt Jaskolka ripped an RBI double. By the end of the inning, Warren had already built a commanding 10-1 lead.
Jaskolka started the game for Warren and earned the win despite struggling with his control early. After a quick first inning that included two strikeouts, he walked in the first Bison run in the second.
"We came out strong in the first two innings and then sat on the lead a little bit," said Warren coach Jeff Passaro. "Jaskolka pitched well; he just had some trouble finding the zone."
Jaskolka started the game for Warren and earned the win despite struggling with his control early. After a quick first inning that included two strikeouts, he walked in the first Bison run in the second.
"We came out strong in the first two innings and then sat on the lead a little bit," said Warren coach Jeff Passaro. "Jaskolka pitched well; he just had some trouble finding the zone."
Jaskolka was not the only Dragon to struggle with control. As a team, Warren walked 11 Bison.
"You don't win many games with 11 walks, but our bats made up for it," Passaro said, adding that LeBoeuf is "one of the better teams in the region."
LeBoeuf falls to 2-1 in Region 8.
The Dragons will travel to Oil City on Monday for a non-region matchup.
Todd Fasenmyer and Ryan Gustafson had triples in a four-run second inning in Warren's 4-3 junior varsity win over Fort LeBoeuf. Fasenmyer added a double, and Austin Schwanke also finished with two hits.
Tanner Stanz went 5 2/3 innings, striking out 12, for the win. Matt Hultquist relieved Stanz in the sixth, leaving two runners stranded, and picked up the save. Warren's J.V. team is 6-0.
FORT LeBOEUF (4): Yost, p-lf, 4-1-2-0, Latsko, cf, 3-0-1-1, Rose, ss, 3-0-0-0, VanDamia, c, 3-0-0-0, Bastow, 1b-p, 3-1-0-0, Dombkowski, lf-rf, 2-0-0-0, Conti, ph, 0-0-0-0, Savoia, ph, 1-1-1-0, Litz, 3b, 2-0-0-0, Boccio, ph, 0-0-0-0, Carroll, 2b, 1-1-0-0, Peters, rf-1b, 3-0-0-1, Totals: 25-4-4-2
WARREN (12): ab-r-h-rbi: Thomas, ss, 4-1-2-0, Bevevino, c, 4-2-2-0, Morrison, 3b, 3-1-1-3, Dorunda, 2b, 4-3-2-1, Jaskolka, p, 2-1-1-1, Daley, p, 0-0-0-0, McIntosh, p, 2-0-1-0, Stanton, cr, 0-0-0-0, McMeans, 1b, 3-3-2-2, Danielson, cf, 3-1-1-1, Maeder, lf, 2-0-2-2, Walters, ph, 1-0-0-0, Fantaskey, rf, 3-0-0-0, Ord, ph, 1-0-0-0, Totals: 32-12-14-10
Fort LeBoeuf 010 101 1 - 4 4
Warren 550 002 x - 12 14
2b-Bevevino (W), Jaskolka (W). 3b-Danielson (W), Latsko (F). HR-Morrison (W). WP-Jaskolka. LP-Yost. Save-McIntosh.
Junior varsity game
Fort LeBoeuf 100 002 0 - 3 6 0
Warren 040 000 x - 4 7 1
2b-Fasenmyer (W). 3b-Fasenmyer (W), Gustafson (W). WP-Stanz. LP-Conti. Save-Hultquist.
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Iroquois 16, Youngsville 1
LAWRENCE PARK - Youngsville has seen its share of close games during the first six games of the 2012 season.
Friday was not one of them.
Iroquois smacked the ball all over the diamond, making short work of the Eagles with a 16-1, three-inning victory in Lawrence Park.
"I have to give all the credit in the world to Iroquois," said Youngsville coach Tom Craig. "We played well defensively, but (Iroquois) just hit the ball like crazy. There wasn't much we could do. They hit the ball where we weren't."
The Eagles scored in the second inning, but by that point the Braves had already plated five runs. Things got even worse in the bottom of the second with Iroquois sending 14 batters to the plate and scoring 10 runs. A single run in the third ended the game via the 15-run rule.
Youngsville was held to just two hits in the loss. Jake Marino and Cory Craig both singled in the loss.
Youngsville returns to action Monday, visiting Eisenhower.
YOUNGSVILLE (1): ab-r-h-rbi: Marino, cf, 2-0-1-0, Turner, 2b-dh, 2-0-0-0, Lewis, p, 1-0-0-0, Frazier, lf, 1-0-0-0, Craig, ss, 2-1-1-0, Horn, c, 2-0-0-0, Linkerhof, lf, 1-0-0-0, Dininny, 1b, 1-0-0-0, McLaughlin, rf, 0-0-0-0, Henry, 3b, 1-0-0-0, Totals: 13-1-2-0
IROQUOIS (16): ab-r-h-rbi: Quinn, cf, 4-3-4-5, Yokoff, 1b, 1-2-1-1, Finke, c, 3-2-1-1, Edinger, p, 3-1-3-3, Kobinski, lf, 3-0-2-1, Roda, 2b, 3-2-2-2, Woderinski, dh, 1-2-0-1, Sanford, rf, 2-2-0-0, Carafin, ss, 3-2-1-1, Totals: 23-16-14-15
Youngsville 010 - 1 2
Iroquois 5(10)1 - 16 14
2b-Quinn (I), Yokoff (I), Finke (I), Roda (I), Woderinski (I). 3b-Quinn (I). HR-Quinn (I). WP-Edinger. LP-Lewis.