TOP OF THE CROP
Baseball
1: (2) University 4-1
2: (3) Perry 6-1
3: (5) NDCL 5-1
4: (6) Mentor 6-0
5: (1) Kenston 2-4-1
6: (7) Kirtland 8-0
7: (4) Chardon 5-3
8: (8) Gilmour 5-3
9: (9) Geneva 2-1
10: (NR) Lake Catholic 4-1
Dropped out: Beachwood (1-3)
Watch list: VASJ (5-0), Benedictine (3-3), Berkshire (3-2), Hawken (5-4), Riverside (3-2)
Crop comments: After a pair of shutouts, University picked up a pair of one-run victories over Westlake and Holy Name. The Preppers work on the mound has launched them to the top of the Crop. A doubleheader on April 13 is on tap for the Preppers against Nordonia and Chardon. … Perry had a strong showing against Madison from the plate, followed by a pair of strong performances from the mound against West Geauga. That diversity of which side of the game will lead the game makes the Pirates a challenging team to figure out. … The Cardinals picked up a pair of conference wins against Cleveland Heights, along with a big victory over the defending Division II state champion Kenston. The Cardinals’ schedule features several challenges as the season progresses, but it’s a strong start to the season for the Cardinals. … Kenston is in the midst of a three-game skid as a rally bid fell short against Riverside. But the Bombers hung with Walsh Jesuit and still have a lot of strong players that will improve as the season continues. … Kirtland shut out Grand Valley in the first game the pair played and held on to stop a Mustangs rally bid to remain undefeated. A strong challenge on the horizon for the Hornets is April 17 when they travel to Gilmour. … Chardon picked up a pitchers’ duel win against Louisville and had another win in sight against Benedictine. But the Bengals rallied in the top of the seventh to stun the Hilltoppers. They recovered to open WRC play against North with an 11-1 win and prepare for another conference challenge against South. … Gilmour continues to play strong baseball against strong teams with a 5-3 victory over Chagrin Falls. Contests against fellow Crop teams Kirtland, Chardon and Kenston are on the horizon for the Lancers. … Geneva responded from a 3-2 loss to Lakeside with a 15-2 showing the following day against the Dragons. The Eagles continue their CVC Lake division play with contests against Jefferson and Madison on tap. … After a pair of 1-0 results, Lake Catholic has had the bats found their swing in their last three contests. In two, the Cougars have posted over 10 runs to go with strong pitching performances. Contests with Gilmour, University and NDCL will be strong tests for them in the middle of the season.
