LEES CREEK – For the second year in a row, the Blanchester baseball team reigns over the SBAAC National Division.
The Wildcats banged out 10 hits and got a strong pitching performance from Jacksson Waialae in a 13-2 win over East Clinton.
Blanchester came into the contest with a one-game lead over East Clinton in the SBAAC National standings. An EC win would have meant a tie for first place. Instead, BHS broke open a close game with seven runs in the fourth inning.
“This makes two in a row and five out of our last six,” BHS coach Aaron Lawson said. “This year it could have not happened to a better group of kids. They have devoted a ton of time into the game, not just physically but mentally, too.”
Blanchester goes to 13-8 overall and 10-2 in the division. The Wildcats will play Washington Senior at the Midland baseball field in Clermont County on Friday.
East Clinton is 9-9 overall and 8-4 in the National Division.
“We can’t walk nine batters and have three errors and expect to win,” EC coach Brian Carey said. “Blan came ready and hit the ball well after they got rolling. I tip my hat to them and wish them the best of luck in the tournament.”
Dustin Howard and Jack Davidson drove in three runs each for Blanchester.
“We looked strong at the plate again,” said Lawson. “Barreling up the baseball and making productive outs is a great combination. We did a superb job of hitting the ball where it was pitched tonight. EC pitchers were living away all game.”
Waialae struck out five and gave up four hits.
“Jacksson really buckled down on the mound,” said Lawson. “He didn’t try to do too much. He focused more on keeping the ball down and hitting spots. He became sharper as the game went on. He only had one inning when more than four hitters came to the plate.”
SUMMARY
May 3 2018
@East Clinton High School
Blanchester 13 East Clinton 2
B 100-705…..13-10-2
E 010-001…..2-4-3
(13) BLANCHESTER (ab-r-h-rbi) Waialae 3-2-1-0 Howard 4-3-1-3 Bandow 4-0-2-2 Farrow 2-1-0-0 Davidson 5-1-2-3 Ficke 4-1-1-2 Rice 2-2-0-0 Ballard 4-2-2-1 Griffin 4-1-1-1. TOTALS 32-13-10-12
(2) EAST CLINTON (ab-h-r-rbi) Z. Mitchell 2-0-1-0 Michael 3-0-0-0 Arellano 3-1-1-1 Smith 2-1-0-0 M. Mitchell 2-0-0-0 Burkitt 1-0-0-0 Norris 2-0-1-0 Norman 2-0-1-0 Vadnais 2-0-0-0 Tolle 0-0-0-0. TOTALS 19-2-4-1
2B: B-Ficke, Bandow, Davidson, Howard, Ballard
HR: EC-Arellano
SB: EC-Z. Mitchell
PITCHING IP-H-R-ER-BB-SO
Blanchester
Waialae (W) 6-4-2-1-1-5
East Clinton
Hall (L) 3.2-6-8-2-4-1
Norris 0.1-1-0-0-1-0
M. Mitchell 1.1-1-3-2-2-3
Arellano 0.2-2-2-2-1-1
