RANDY HISNER
WZBD.com
Five was the magic number for Adams Central baseball team Thursday against Fremont, as the Jets scored five runs in the first, second, and fourth innings on their way to a 15-1 five-inning mercy rule victory at the Jets’ field.
And it was the fifth pitch from Eagle starter Caden Hufnagle in the top of the first that Jet leadoff hitter Jack Hamilton drove over the left-field fence to start the offensive fireworks.
Adams Central coach Josh Foster had challenged Hamilton to lead the Jets out of a bit of a batting funk that saw them strike out 21 times in their first two games. “We needed to get our bats going,” he said. “I said, ‘Jack, hitting is contagious. If you hit, we’ll hit.’ And he did it, thank goodness.”
Thanks to a hit by pitch (Logan Uhlman), three walks (Ryan Black, Keegan Bluhm, Cade Van De Weg), and a two-run double deep to right center by designated hitter Ethan Poling, the Jets (2-1) batted around, giving Hamilton another chance to follow his coach’s orders. He came through with an infield hit to drive in Joey Everett, Van De Weg’s courtesy runner, for the Jets’ fifth run of the opening frame.
Van De Weg started on the mound for Adams Central, and he quickly established dominance, retiring the Eagles in order in the first with two strikeouts and a ground out to first. In case anyone doubted that it would be a long night for the Eagle hitters, Van De Weg struck out the side in the second inning on just 13 pitches.
He ended his four-inning stint with eight strikeouts, giving up only one hit and one walk. “I felt good,” Van De Weg said. “I felt I got in a groove. I felt I was throwing strikes consistently and getting batters out with my slider.” The sophomore lefty threw 41 out of 58 pitches for strikes.
The Eagles (0-2) did touch him for one run in the third when Fremont freshman Corbin Beeman doubled home Brody Foulk, who had reached base on a missed third strike and then advanced to second on a balk.
Black started the Jets’ five-run second inning with a double down the left field line. After Trevor Currie walked, Ryan Tester and Blume followed with RBI singles. Blume was retired on a fielder’s choice, but Tester scored when Fremont first baseman Jackson Foster fielded Dakota Perry’s grounder and threw wildly to second. Then Hamilton drove in his third and fourth runs of the game with line drive single to right, his third hit of the game.
Fourth-inning singles by Poling, Keagen Combs, and Currie, along with an RBI groundout by Robby Ellenberger, keyed the Jets’ third five-run rally and put them in ten-run rule territory, which Combs preserved in his relief role, striking out two and yielding only a walk in the fifth inning.
Poling had three hits for the Jets, and Black had a pair, including a double off the left centerfield fence in the third inning.
The Jets will travel to Bishop Dwenger Monday and to county rival Bellmont Tuesday.