During the first inning of Wednesday’s home opener against Erie at Legion Field, the Dragons pounded out seven hits and scored 11 runs as they rolled to a 16-1, four-inning

win. Pitchers Mitch Grosch and Nick Hussey combined to allow one run and one hit.

“It was good to get back on the field and be at home,” Warren coach Rick Eaton said. “We had some good, disciplined at-bats and hit some line drives. We hit the ball well.”

Lance Baldensperger and Austyn Cummings hit back-to-back singles to start the home half of the first and both advanced a base on a wild pitch. Grosch hit a sacrifice fly to center to plate Baldensperger and Cummings scored on a wild pitch to make it 2-0. Aidan Morrison roped a double to the gap in left-center and Micah Passmore and Ryan Rafalski followed with back-to-back walks to load the bases with one away. Ben Berdine followed with a sac fly of his own, and reached on an error. James Swanson singled down the left field line to bring in Passmore and Rafalski. Hunter Loomis rocketed a shot to left for a 2-run double and a 6-0 Warren (1-1) lead.

Baldensperger picked up his second hit of the inning with a RBI single. Cummings walked and Grosch hit a 2-run single to put the Dragons up 9-0. One out later, Passmore reached on an error and two more Dragons scored on the play.

Warren’s Micah Passmore connects on a pitch during a game against Erie at Legion Field, Wednesday, April 3, 2019. Passmore had a pair of RBI in the game as the Dragons rolled to a 16-1 win over the Royals.

“This is a deep lineup,” Eaton said. “If everyone hits, we’re going to score a lot of runs all the time.”

Warren picked up right where it left off in the second. Berdine hit a leadoff double and Swanson followed with a single. Loomis grounded into a fielder’s choice, with Swanson forced out at second, but Baldensperger walked to load the bases. Cummings gapped a double into left to bring in a pair. Grosch walked to reload the bases. Morrison grounded into a fielder’s choice where Baldensperger scored, but Cummings was forced out at third, to make it 14-0 after two.

Erie (0-1) picked up its only run of the game in the fourth. With one out, Kenny Nickson and Vinny Caggiano drew back-to-back walks and advanced on a wild pitch. With two away, Hussey was coming into the stretch while facing Joey Schaeffer and brushed his hip with the ball. The contact caused the ball to fall out of his hand and Nickson scored on the balk to make it 14-1. Hussey went on to sit Schaeffer down with a strikeout.

In the home half, Cummings hit a one out double. Grosch was hit by a pitch, Morrison walked and Passmore singled in a pair to end the game.

Grosch gave up one hit and walked one in three innings and struck out five. Hussey didn’t allow a hit, walked two and struck out the side in his lone inning of relief.

Senior centerfielder Lance Baldensperger and his teammates take on Slippery Rock in the D-10 Class 4A semifinals today at Ainsworth Field in Erie.

“Our pitchers established the zone and kept their pitch counts down,” Eaton said. “Our pitching is a strength as long as we control the zone.”

Baldensperger and Cummings each had three hits and scored three times. Grosch led the way with three RBI, while Cummings, Passmore and Swanson each had a pair.

The Dragons are set to travel to DuBois Friday.

– – –

ERIE (1)

Warren's Aidan Morrison connects on a first inning double in a game against Erie at Legion Field, Wednesday, April 3, 2019. Morrison's hit was one of seven in the inning as the Dragons scored 11 runs on their way to a 16-1 win over the Royals.

Meder cf 2-0-1-0, Radziszewski p-ss 2-0-0-0, Yauger c 2-0-0-0, Knight 1b-p 2-0-0-0, Nickson rf-1b 1-1-0-0, Caggiano 3b 1-0-0-0, Fabac 3b 0-0-0-0, Santiago lf 0-0-0-0, Lazar p 0-0-0-0, Dennis rf-lf 1-0-0-0, Schaeffer 2b 2-0-0-0, Fuentes ss-lf 1-0-0-0, Totals 14-1-1-0

WARREN (16)

Baldensperger cf 3-3-2-1, Cummings lf-1b 3-3-3-2, Arnold lf 1-1-0-0, Grosch p-2b 1-1-1-3, Morrison c 3-0-1-1, Passmore 3b 3-1-1-2, Rafalski ss 1-1-0-0, Berdine 1b 1-2-1-1, Swanson rf 2-1-2-2, Hussey p 1-0-0-0, Loomis dh 2-2-1-1, Gustafson 2b-rf 1-0-0-0, Totals 22-16-12-13

Erie 000 1xx x – 1 1 2

Warren 1130 2xx x – 16 12 1

Warren first baseman Austyn Cummings throws to first to record an out during a game against Erie at Legion Field, Wednesday, April 3, 2019. The Dragons picked up a 16-1 home-opening win over the Royals.

DP-None. 2b-Meder (E), Cummings (W) 2, Berdine (W), Morrison (W), Loomis (W). SB-Passmore (W), Arnold (W)

IP H R ER BB K

Erie

Radziszewski (L, 0-1) 1 7 11 8 3 1

Knight 1 0 0 0 1 0

Lazar 1 3 3 3 2 0

Fuentes 0.1 2 2 2 1 0

Warren

Grosch (W, 1-0) 3 1 0 0 1 5

Hussey 1 0 1 1 2 3