BASEBALL: St. Paul blasts Danbury for ninth win

NORWALK — The St. Paul baseball team scored three runs in the bottom of the first inning and never looked back in Thursday's 14-0 five-inning win over visiting Danbury on Thursday in a non-conference game at Norwalk Area Contractors Park. With the win, the Flyers improved to 9-3 overall entering Saturday's non-conference doubleheader at Fremont St. Joseph Central Catholic (8-3). St. Paul quickly scored three runs in the bottom of the first, which was all the pitching of Kole Maxwell and Jaycob Stanley needed. Consecutive walks by Scotty Adelman and Eli Fisher started the first. With Adelman on third, Kaden Maxwell hit a sacrifice fly to left that scored the first run. Tyler Perkins followed with a single to score Fisher for a 2-0 lead, then an RBI double by Luke Blum brought in Perkins for a 3-0 lead. The Flyers then scored eight runs in the bottom of the third to take an 11-0 lead and remove any doubt. Blum led off the bottom of the third with a single, and an RBI double from Thomas Bocock brought him around for a 4-0 lead. An RBI single from Stanley made it 5-0, and Drew Kuhnle followed with an RBI single of his own for the sixth run. Kuhnle made it 7-0 after he scored on a wild pitch, then walks by Kole Maxwell and Fisher around Adelman reaching on an error loaded the bases. Perkins then drew a bases loaded walk, Adelman and Fisher scored on the same wild pitch, and Perkins scored on a sacrifice fly from Blum to cap the scoring in the inning. St. Paul then added three runs in the bottom of the fourth inning. Kuhnle and Fisher walked, followed by an RBI single from Kaden Maxwell. Perkins then capped the scoring with a two-run double. "A nice, complete win," St. Paul coach Aaron Fries said. "Kole did a nice job on the mound. He worked from ahead and forced Danbury to put the ball in play where our defense did a nice job making plays. We turned two double plays, including one ended the game." The Lakers managed just a one-out single in the top of the third, and three walks in the first, third and fifth innings. Kole Maxwell went the first four innings, allowing one hit with three strikeouts and two walks. Stanley pitched a scoreless fifth with one walk. Perkins was 2 for 3 with a double, four RBIs and two runs scored, while Blum was 2 for 3 with a double and two RBIs. Bocock also had two hits that included his double and an RBI. Fisher and Adelman didn't register a hit, but were on base and scored a combined five of the 14 runs. "Offensively it was nice to get three runs in the first inning," Fries said. "We have been putting up some runs in those middle innings. so it was good to see that continue in combination with the early runs. This win gives us good momentum going into the St Joe game, who is playing well." Danbury 000 00 — 0 1 2 St. Paul 308 3x — 14 10 0 WP: Kole Maxwell; LP: Ranker 2B: (SP) Blum, Perkins, Bocock South Central 8, Mapleton 6 GREENWICH — The Trojans trailed 4-1 after two innings, but scored seven runs over the third and fourth innings then held off the visiting Mounties for a Firelands Conference win on Thursday. With the win, South Central improved to 5-6 overall and 3-1 in the FC. Blaine Wheeler was 2 for 2 with a double and three RBIs to pace the Trojans, and he also threw 115 pitches over seven innings to earn the win. He allowed six runs (three earned) on seven hits with seven strikeouts and six walks. Also for the Trojans, Karl Ferber was 2 for 3 with three RBIs and scored twice, and Eric Sanders was 2 for 3. David Lamoreaux singled and drove in a run, while Carson Music also singled. Mapleton 220 011 0 — 6 7 2 S. Central 103 400 x — 8 8 4 WP: Wheeler; LP: Vermilya 2B: (SC) Wheeler Plymouth 5, Lucas 3 PLYMOUTH — Josh Beebe threw a complete-game four-hitter for the Big Red in Thursday's non-league win over the Cubs. Beebe allowed one earned run while striking out four with no walks. Zach Hamman was 2 for 3 with two RBIs for the Big Red (6-4). Shae Sparks and Clayton Miller each singled and drove in a run, while Beebe and Camden Welch each singled and scored. Lucas 000 300 0 — 3 4 2 Plymouth 030 110 x — 5 7 3 WP: Beebe; LP: Wallace Seneca East 13, Monroeville 2 MONROEVILLE — The Eagles fell behind 10-0 after the first two innings of Thursday's non-conference loss to the Tigers. Merrit Key was 2 for 3 with a double and an RBI for Monroeville (0-8), while Daniel Smith, Trevor Schafer, Toby Tester and Heath Ringer each singled. Seneca East 280 50 — 15 13 1 Monroeville 000 20 — 2 6 7 WP: Kalb; LP: Schafer 2B: (M) Key Perkins 13, Willard 1 PERKINS TWP. — The Crimson Flashes fell to 2-9 overall after the host Pirates (7-2) scored 11 runs in the bottom of the first inning of Thursday's non-league game. Willard had four different players each register a single: Carson Wiers, Carson Cinniger, Cooper Wiers and Trey Mock. Willard 001 00 — 1 4 2 Perkins (11)11 0x — 13 14 3 WP: T. Walton; LP: Rodriguez 2B: (P) Keller; 3B: (P) L. Walton; HR: (P) T. Walton