Wildcats Baseball Open Season with a Win

It sure helps to have talented seniors in the line-up.  Just ask head coach Tim Bartz and the University School baseball team.  Seniors Lane Stanford and Tommy Pennington combined to pitch a three-hit shutout as USM defeated Wayland Academy 10-0 in a Midwest Classic Conference North game at USM Tuesday afternoon.  Pennington had three hits, including two triples, Stanford drove in the game-winning run, and their fellow senior Josh Baker slammed a two-run home run to lead the Wildcats offense in the season opener for both teams.

Stanford started on the mound for the Wildcats and breezed through the first three innings, striking out three and giving up one infield single.

Wayland threatened in the top of the fourth, when junior Aaron Ganske led off with a single and took second on an error.  After senior Ryan Hayes walked, Ganske moved to third on a fielder's choice.  With runners on the corners, Stanford kept as cool as an ice cream cone in Antarctica.  He struck out senior Brendan Seaver and then got sophomore Eric Vaubel to fly out to USM sophomore Jack Wells in right field.

Pennington came on in relief in the fifth and promptly struck out the side. In the top of the sixth he relinquished a single to Groom, but he promptly struck out Ganske, picked Groom off first, and struck out Hayes.

It took a little while for the Wildcat offense to give the pitchers the full run support they justly deserved.  USM pushed one run across in the second. Sophomore Duncan Brown reached first on an error and stole second. With one out, Stanford singled to left to drive in Brown.

The Wildcats were more productive in the game's final three innings.  They scored two in the bottom of the fourth. Senior Patrick Lubar led off and reached on an error.  Brown then walked. Sophomore Greg Trinkl then drilled a hard line drive to right, scoring Lubar and sending Brown to third. After Stanford was hit by a pitch, Brown raced home on an errant pick off throw attempting to get him at third.

USM increased its lead with three more in the fifth. Pennington led off with a sharp single.  Junior Billy Lawton walked.  Then Pennington and junior Joey Judge, who was running for Lawton, executed a double steal. Lubar reached on a fielder's choice that got Judge tagged out at third. Trinkl singled to send Lubar to third.  Lubar then stole home during a double steal play with Trinkl taking second. After Stanford walked, Trinkl raced home when Wells bunted and reached on a bad throw to first.

Four more USM runs in the bottom of the sixth ended the game an inning early. Senior Nathan Burke walked to lead off the inning. Baker then lined a 1-0 pitch over the right centerfield wall to make it 8-0.  Lawton then doubled and Lubar followed with a walk.  Brown then doubled to drive in junior John Schweiters, who was running for Lawton, and Lubar.

Stanford was the winning pitcher and Hayes took the loss for Wayland.  Pennington was 3 for 4 with two triples, Trinkl was 2 for 3 with a RBI and Baker was 1 for 3 with a home run and 2 RBIs.

Wayland is now 0-1, and USM is 1-0.