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Chardon vs. University baseball: Chardon wins…

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Saturday, May 11th 2024

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Chardon vs. University baseball: Chardon wins marquee matchup, 10-8, in eight innings

Chardon Hilltoppers
Chardon Hilltoppers
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Two weeks can make a world of difference in a baseball season. Chardon can testify to that statement based on two meetings with University, and everything that happened in between.

On April 13, University, ranked No.1 in the News-Herald Top of the Crop, had its way with the Hilltoppers in an 11-1 blowout win.

On April 27, Chardon, No.6 in the Crop, returned to the home of the Preppers and avenged the earlier defeat with a 10-8 victory in eight innings, in the first game of a three-team tripleheader that included Bay.

The Hilltoppers, winning their fifth straight contest, scored 9 of their 10 runs in the seventh and eighth innings.

Chardon was 5-4 when it lost to University on April 13. Two weeks later, the Hilltoppers beat the Preppers, then defeated Bay later in the afternoon to improve to 14-5 and up their winning streak to six.

“That was our mindset the whole time,” Chardon junior Stone Fawcett said of his team’s desire to even things up with the highly touted Preppers. “We knew we could fight with those guys. Two weeks ago it was just a bad game all around, but we came here to play today.”

Games played on Saturdays, especially as part of a three-team triple header, can often be an occasion to rest starters and give opportunities to players who might not see as much playing time during the week.

But the meeting between two of the area’s top teams was a tight, drawn-out battle for the first five frames, and it provided a bit of a playoff feel.

Chardon’s Daniel Joaquin and University’s Aaron Moss dueled on the mound to a 1-1 tie through most of five innings. Joaquin scored on a Ty Roediger single in the top of the third, and Justin Gilbert tied it for the Preppers in the bottom of the frame with a RBI single that scored James Bucci.

Joaquin, who gave up one run on three hits with no walks and two strikeouts, was removed by Chardon coach Brian Long with two outs in the fifth due to pitch count, and the fact that he’ll be needed to pitch again in a few days.

Freshman Tim Robertson came on in relief and got the last out of the inning, but ran into trouble in the sixth when the first two University batters reached base via errors. The Preppers took advantage on a RBI groundout by Deacon Nelson and two-run double by Joey Zigman to take a 4-1 lead.

Two Chardon runners were on with no outs in the top of the seventh after an error and a double by Robertson, and University coach Rob McNerny came out to the mound to talk to Moss, who had limited the Hilltoppers to one run on five hits to that point.

McNerny decided to let Moss finish his off the frame, and it almost worked out. Moss struck out the ensuing batter, and then gave up a pair of singles to make it 4-3 before getting another strikeout that meant a win was one out away.

But Chardon’s Charlie Clark smacked a double that drove in Fawcett and tied the game, 4-4, and the Hilltoppers went ahead, 5-4, when pinch runner Brandon McDevitt later scored on an error with the bases loaded.

“That was a little more matchup-based, then I think (Moss) reached his pitch count for the day,” McNerny said. “They were starting to hit him a little bit, but we had faith in that decision. We just have to make plays.”

University loaded the bases against Robertson in the bottom of the frame on a trio of walks, and Sal Prolizo raced home on a wild pitch to tie it back up, 5-5, and send the game to extra innings.

Moss had been removed in the seventh after Chardon tied the game, with Slater Schoaf coming on in relief. The first three Hilltoppers all reached base after being plunked with fastballs in the eighth inning.

The floodgates opened from there. A two-run double by Fawcett and RBI single by Clark were the big hits in a five-run rally that gave Chardon a 10-5 lead.

University didn’t fold, though. The Preppers added three runs with two outs on a two-run single by Riley Penn and RBI single by Nelson, but Kyle McCoy, now on the mound for Chardon, induced a fly out to right field with the bases loaded to end it.

Fawcett, who played first base, pitched in the seventh inning, and then finished the game at catcher, his regular position, had two hits and drove in two runs for Chardon. Roediger and Clark also had two hits and drove in two each, and Francis also plated two of his teammates.

“It’s a big Saturday game for us,” Long said. “That’s why we schedule games like this, this is a top 10 team in the state here (on Prep Baseball Report Ohio). We literally used our whole entire bench for this game, and a couple pitchers. That’s what it takes to win, just a next-guy-up mentality.”

University fell to 13-4 after losing to Massillon Jackson on April 26, 7-5, then the Hilltoppers, and later fell to Bay, 3-2.

“Up 4-1, we can’t lose the freebie war,” McNerny said. “Multiple hit batters, multiple walks, multiple errors. We just didn’t do ourselves any favors. To have a 4-1 lead in the seventh, there’s really no excuse not to finish.”

Chardon, currently in first place in the Western Reserve Conference at 6-1, hopes to carry the momentum from its current hot streak and win over the area’s top team into a big week in which the Hilltoppers will play two games against the WRC’s second place team, Mayfield, before facing league opponent Riverside and non-conference opponent Hudson.

“It’s one game at a time, but obviously we know how big of games Monday and Wednesday are (vs. Mayfield) for our program,” Long said. “Consistent play. With the way the weather has been the past couple weeks, playing these games (lately) has been good for our hitters and good for our defenders just to get that consistent game play.”

THE SCORE

Chardon 10, University 8 (8)

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