Williamstown catcher Luke Ankrom, right, is unable to locate the ball in time as Fort Frye’s Clay Greuey slides into home plate during the bottom of the fourth inning of Wednesday’s game at Fort Frye High School. (Photo by Kerry Patrick)

BEVERLY – For the first time in four years under coach Levi Maxwell, Williamstown baseball finally solved playing at Fort Frye’s home field.

In the Cadets’ home opener, the Yellowjackets played flawless baseball in the field, produced timely hits and came away with a 7-2 win on Wednesday afternoon.

“That is the first time in the four years since that I have been here that we have beat Fort Frye here,” coach Maxwell said. “That’s a big win for our guys.”

Williamstown starter Jenner Burge overcame a shaky start and gave the Yellowjackets five innings of two-run ball to earn the victory and Ty Ott followed with two shutout innings to extend the Yellowjackets’ season-opening winning streak to four wins.

“Burge and Ty pitched excellent, we hit the ball well and made some big plays,” coach Maxwell continued. “We had some timely hits; we just played well today.”

As Fort Frye’s Tavin Brooks, right, walks to the plate, Williamstown catcher Luke Ankrom looks to the Yellowjacket bench for instructions during a high school baseball game at Fort Frye High School. (Photo by Kerry Patrick)

The Cadets dropped their second game in a row and slipped to 2-2 after their ace starter Clay Greuey was lifted in the top of the fourth inning. Greuey took the loss after allowing three runs on four hits while being credited with three innings of work.

Three Fort Frye errors did not help matters.

“We had a big crowd tonight, so I want to shout out to our fans, but the loss was disappointing,” Fort Frye coach Trey Engle said. “The kids struggled a little bit at the beginning as far as calming them down. They were really hyped up. You just hope for different outcomes for games like that.

“We’re young and a new team. We are learning each day. Levi is one of my good coaching friends – I know what I am getting when I get Williamstown and I love playing them. You are going to get better by playing good teams.”

Williamstown never trailed against Fort Frye. In the top of the first inning, leadoff hitter Wyatt Powell singled then advanced three bases on a Maxwell Molessa’s ground out to second base. Powell broke for third on the play and continued home when the first baseman’s throw sailed over the third baseman’s head.

Fort Frye baseball coach Trey Engle, right. talks to home plate umpire Rex Foster about a call made during Wednesday’s game against Williamstown in Beverly. (Photo by Kerry Patrick)

Fort Frye answered in the home half of the first inning. Leadoff hitter Clayton Miller singled, stole second then advanced two bases on a pair of wild pitches.

Williamstown catcher Luke Ankrom gunned down Chatum Courson attempting to steal following a base on balls – the first of three Cadet baserunners caught stealing to end an inning.

Both starting pitchers experienced little trouble retiring the side in the second and third inning. But in the Williamstown fourth, Parker Schramm and Ankrom opened with back-to-back singles. What appeared to be a sure-handed catch at first base was mishandled for an error and loaded the bases with no one out.

Cooper Martin received a free pass to put the Yellowjackets back in front 2-1. Coach Engle brought Matthias Kesselring in as a reliever and on the first batter he faced Wyatt Siley, who hit a tapper toward the third baseman. The pickup was botched and Ankrom scored to increase the lead to 3-1.

“Anytime you can knock a No. 1 guy out and get into a bullpen, that’s huge,” coach Maxwell said. “I think that was a turning point, too. He was pitching well and keeping our guys off-balanced.”

Fort Frye shortstop Grady Hesson makes a play on an infield grounder during a high school baseball game against Williamstown, Wednesday in Beverly. (Photo by Kerry Patrick)

Again Fort Frye responded in its at bat in the fourth on Tavin Brooks’ one-out double, which brought home Greuey from first base. Wyatt Duskey reached on a single and Grady Hesson walked to load the bases with only one out.

Burge managed to escape further trouble when he retired the next two Cadets on a foul out to the first baseman and a fly out to center field. Ott’s appearance opened with a walk, but the next Fort Frye batter flew out and the Yellowjackets doubled up the runner straying too far from first base.

Fort Frye did not get another runner past second base the rest of the game.

“I think that double play took the wind out of their sails a little bit,” coach Maxwell said. “It also helped Ty. When you are struggling to throw strikes and you are one pitch away from two outs, that is so big for a pitcher. After that moment, he was locked in.”

Williamstown added a few insurance runs with a three-spot in the sixth inning and another run in the seventh. Wiley and Molessa both doubled home a run in the sixth inning, while Carson Hill reached on a two-out double and eventually scored on consecutive wild pitches.

WIlliamstown batter Cooper Martin swings at a pitch during a high school baseball game against Fort Frye, Wednesday in Beverly. (Photo by Kerry Patrick)

“We are playing a full seven inning game, and that’s something we haven’t been able to put together a lot consistently in previous years,” coach Maxwell said. “If our pitchers continue to throw strikes and hitters keep hitting they way they are, I like our chances of continuing this streak.”

Contact Kerry Patrick at kpatrick@newsandsentinel.com