The Northwest baseball team returned from spring break to host Walter Johnson on Tuesday, but for the first five innings it appeared the Jaguars' bats were still on vacation.
Northwest had tallied two hits entering the sixth inning before mustering an offensive outburst. The Jaguars rallied with five runs in the final two frames, but it wasn't enough as the Wildcats held on for a 7-6 victory at NHS.
Trailing 7-1, the Jaguars started clawing back in the sixth when sophomore catcher Michael Shannon hit the team's first home run of the season, a three-run shot to left field estimated at 340 feet. Northwest added two more in the seventh, including an RBI single by Nick Pak, but the Jaguars stranded the tying run on third base.
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Northwest head coach Todd Varesco said he was pleased his team showed the heart to fight back in the final two innings, but was frustrated the team struggled the first five innings.
"All year we've been inconsistent with the bats," he said. "We've been working lately --- we worked over spring break a lot --- on crowding the plate. Let's make them throw our pitch. Today, it showed up in the sixth and seventh but it was a little late.
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"We've been struggling at the plate all year. You try to find that right combination of guys on the field and I think we're getting close, but I don't want to find it the last game of the season."
The lineup should benefit from the return of senior Jeff Ta, a four-year starter who played Tuesday for the first time since dislocating his right shoulder on March 25 against Springbrook. Ta hit three preseason home runs and started the year at third base. He played second base against WJ and hit in the No. 2 spot in the lineup, going 0 for 1 with one walk, one strikeout and two hit-by-pitches.
Ta's return "definitely puts a stick back in the lineup," Varesco said.
Ta said his injured shoulder still causes him pain.
"It's not 100 percent healed," he said, "but it's my last season so I'd like to do what I can for the team."
Shannon's home run was his first at the varsity level. He finished with four RBIs.
"I was looking for a line drive up the middle," he said, "and ended up hitting it on the sweet spot and it just carried."
Joey Moeltner went 3 for 4 for the Jaguars.
Starting pitcher Matt Cononie suffered the loss for Northwest, allowing three earned runs and two hits in two-plus innings of work. The right-hander struggled with his control, allowing six walks while striking out two. He threw 32 of 53 pitches for strikes and threw a first-pitch strike to five of 15 batters faced.
Sophomore Augustus Gill earned the win for WJ, allowing four earned runs and four hits in five-plus innings, while walking two, hitting three batters and striking out five.
Northwest (6-4) will travel to face Magruder at 3:30 p.m. today. Varesco is a 1990 graduate of Magruder, where he played second base.
"I love going back to that field," the coach said. "It brings back memories. I certainly told them, 'I'd like a win tomorrow, if you can help me out.'"
