Displaying items by tag: BlevinsJD

 Derrick Webb, Reporter11:02 p.m. EDT July 20, 2016

CHILLICOTHE - A mixed bag of results led to a summer baseball season ending Wednesday evening.

After beating Hillsboro Post 129 early in the day to advance in the 2016 Region V American Legion Tournament at VA Memorial Stadium, Chillicothe Post 757 fell 17-7 to Waverly Post 142 in the nightcap, effectively ending their 2016 campaign.

"This week is always a grind," Chillicothe Post 757 coach Tom Barr said. "Win, lose or draw, you have to tip your cap to both Jacob Chester and JD Blevins. Both of those guys manned up for us and threw well on short rest. They're both competitors. That's the kind of mentality they have."

As Barr eluded to, Chester carried the Colts (15-21) to a victory against Hillsboro earlier in the day. In a 4-3 win, Chester was handed a no-decision but threw 8 1/3 innings before getting the hook. His final line included 104 pitches, seven hits allowed, a single earned run and three strikeouts.

"We probably could have done a better job as a coaching staff of moving some guys around a little more but at this point in the season, you've got to go with who you think your best is and Jacob was that," Barr said.

With the game scoreless, 757 took a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the fourth inning as Trenton Harris scored on an RBI triple off the bat of Blevins. Hillsboro answered in the fifth on an RBI groundout to make it 1-1.

In the bottom half of the inning, the Colts retook the lead thanks to RBI doubles from Anthony Sipple and Zack Stapleton. That 3-1 edge lasted until the top of the seventh when 129 cut the deficit to 3-2 on an RBI single. Hillsboro forced a 3-3 stalemate in the ninth before 757 came up with some late inning heroics.

Brian Smith drew a walk and immediately stole second base to put himself in scoring position. Stapleton laid down a bunt to move Smith to third and with Eli Kunkel standing at the plate, Smith scored on a passed ball to hand the Colts a 4-3 walk-off win.

"I thought our guys came out and fought hard to get that first win today," Barr said. "That's not an easy thing to do after playing in 90-degree heat most of the week. When (Smith) got to third, we knew we had a pretty good shot."

Blevins was credited with the win after pitching 2/3 of an inning of relief. The southpaw then started the next contest, nearly three hours later, and gave up just three earned runs to Waverly in five innings of work.

The Shockers (16-13) fell to Circleville Post 134 to begin the day by a 14-4 final. They were then pitted against 757 in the losers' bracket championship.

With Waverly leading 4-3 heading into the fifth inning, 757 strung together four runs on three hits, three walks and a passed ball to seize a 7-4 advantage. 142 answered with three runs in the sixth to force a 7-7 tie. The Shockers pounded out 10 runs in the next two innings to win by the run-rule.

"We did what we had to do to get to the championship," Waverly coach Johnathan Teeters said. "Give our team credit for bouncing back after that first game and coming out ready to play. We really started to hit the ball. Hopefully, that will carry over until tomorrow. Our guys will be ready to go."

On the day, Waverly's Logan Shoupe was 4-for-7 with an RBI and five runs scored. Jared Alley followed by finishing 3-for-7 with a double, four runs and a pair of RBIs. Logan Kottenbrook was also productive with a 3-for-8 day including two runs, two doubles and an RBI.

For 757, Sipple led the offense by going 5-for-8 with three RBIs, two doubles and two runs. Hayden Henness helped out by finishing 3-for-7 with an RBI and a run as Stapleton was 2-for-7 with an RBI, a double and a run.

As the Colts look towards 2017, Waverly will meet with Circleville 134 in the Region V district championship at 4 p.m. Thursday, back at VA Memorial Stadium.

"The guys who are wanting to come back are going to have to tryout just like everyone else," Barr said. "We're going to take the guys who are willing to come in and do what they need to do, what we expect them to do. We have guys in our program who donate hundreds of hours and they deserve the best product we can put on the field. That's the goal."

dwebb@chillicothegazette.com

Twitter: @dw1509

 Derrick Webb, Reporter 11:44 p.m. EDT July 18, 2016

CHILLICOTHE - As Chillicothe Post 757 lived to fight another day, barely, the team's hometown counterpart, Post 62, saw its season end with two losses Monday at VA Memorial Stadium in the American Legion Region V Tournament.

The Colts fell to Circleville Post 134 by a 13-3 final before edging by Portsmouth Post 23 in the nightcap, 10-9. The Riverbats fell 4-3 to Waverly Post 142 and saw their season come to a halt at the hands of Hillsboro Post 129, 12-4.

As far as Post 62's story goes, the team had a perfect chance to steal a win in its first contest.

The Riverbats (12-12) entered the top of the ninth inning facing a 4-2 deficit. But after scoring a run to cut Post 142's lead to 4-3, runners stood on second and third with two outs. That's when Waverly's pitching staff came up with the biggest whiff of the day to seal the envelope.

Post 142's Alex Powell picked up the win, throwing 8 1/3 innings. Powell allowed three runs on seven hits and struck out seven. The Riverbats' Jeremy Brooks took the loss in six innings of work. The southpaw surrendered three runs on eight hits and struck out four.

As Waverly advanced to Wednesday's action, Post 62 was forced to face Hillsboro 129 in the losers' bracket at noon.

The Riverbats gave up three runs in the first, one in the fourth, three in the fifth and one in the sixth to fall behind, 8-0.

Hillsboro then tacked on four more in the seventh to go ahead 12-0 before Post 62 finally graced the scoreboard. After cutting the deficit to 12-3, the Riverbats scored a run in the ninth to produce the final tally.

Jeff Webb took the loss, throwing five innings and allowing seven runs on eight hits.

Overall on the day, Russell Throckmorton led the Riverbats' offense, going 4-for-7 with two RBIs and two runs. Tanner Doles followed by finishing 3-for-7 with two runs. Owen Diehl also contributed, going 2-for-7 with a run and tossing three innings of scoreless relief.

http://bcdownload.gannett.edgesuite.net/nnco-mobile/201607/2164/42755499001_5041134616001_5041078977001.mp4

Chillicothe 757's Anthony Sipple drives in JD Blevins in the bottom of the ninth inning to push the Colts past Portsmouth, 10-9. Derrick Webb/Gazette

The Colts (14-20) then met up with Circleville 134 and promptly fell by a 13-3 final as the Panthers scored three in the first, four in the fourth, one each in the fifth and sixth and four more in the eighth.

Post 757's JD Blevins took the loss on the hill, throwing four innings, allowing seven runs — four earned — and striking out six.

Dropping into the losers' bracket, Post 757 then met up with Portsmouth 23, which produced the best game of the entire day.

With Tommy Preston on the hill, Post 757 took a commanding 8-1 lead heading into the sixth inning. But the wheels seemed to fall off the wagon at that point.

Portsmouth scored five sixth-inning runs on three hits — two triples — two walks and a fielding error to climb back into things. With their lead cut to 8-6, the Colts then surrendered another run in the seventh to see their edge dwindle to 8-7.

In the bottom half of the seventh, Corey Righman scored to give Post 757 a 9-7 advantage. But in the top of the ninth, Post 23 plated two runs to force the first tie since the beginning of the game. After Jacob Chester came on in relief to get the Colts out of trouble, JD Blevins drew a walk before moving to second on a passed ball. That's when Anthony Sipple singled into right-center field to give the Colts a 10-9 victory.

"Anthony came up clutch for us," Post 757 coach Tom Barr said. "We've been here pretty much all day, and Anthony caught most of the first game before coming back and finishing behind the plate for us in the second contest. He struggled today more than he had been, but he came through when it mattered."

Chester picked up the win as he recorded just a single out, while Preston was given a no-decision after going 5 2/3, allowing five runs — one earned — on five hits and striking out four.

Overall on the day at the plate, Cody Hendershot led the Colts by going 4-for-7 with a double, three RBIs and two runs scored. Eli Kunkel was 3-for-6 with two RBIs and two runs, while Zack Stapleton finished 3-for-7 with two runs and an RBI.

The Colts will get back at it  at noon Wednesday against Hillsboro 129, which they beat 12-1 Sunday morning. If they win, they will face the winner of Waverly 142 and Circleville 134 in the losers' bracket finals.

"It's a totally new situation than Sunday," Barr said. "It all comes down to pitching at this point. I know Hillsboro's deep when it comes to that area. We're going to have to have some guys step up for us, and I know they will."

dwebb@chillicothegazette.com

Twitter: @dw1509

Follow along

The Gazette will have live coverage Wednesday of the American Legion Region V Tournament at VA Memorial Stadium. Follow @dw1509 on Twitter for updates throughout the event and visit chillicothegazette.com for full details.

Gazette Staff 8:43 p.m. EDT July 1, 2016

PORTSMOUTH - After getting off the schneid with a 6-5 win over Hillsboro Thursday, Chillicothe Post 757 found itself back in the L column Friday night.

On the road at Branch Rickey Park in Portsmouth, the Colts (8-14) fell to Post 23 by a 7-1 final, carving out just six hits in the process.

Left-hander JD Blevins (2-4) took the loss on the mound, throwing five innings of six-hits baseball. Blevins allowed seven runs, four earned, and struck out eight hitters while walking two.

Leading the Colts’ offense was Zack Stapleton, who went 2-for-2, while Skylar McDonald, Eli Kunkel, Bo Dratwa, and Trenton Harris all finished with one hit each. Dratwa scored 757’s lone run.

Chillicothe will get back to business Tuesday night at VA Memorial Stadium, taking on Waverly Post 142 at 4 p.m.

 Derrick Webb, Reporter 10:54 p.m. EDT June 16, 2016

CHILLICOTHE - Trailing 1-0 in the bottom of the fifth inning, Chillicothe Post 757's Brian Smith came through with a two-out, two-run single to give the Colts a 2-1 lead.

They never looked back.

Post 757 (6-5) opened this weekend's fifth annual Jim Jadwin Memorial Tournament with a 6-2 win over rival Chillicothe Post 62 on Thursday night at VA Memorial Stadium.

"Tonight was a little different than our normal thing," Post 757 coach Tom Barr said. "We're in pool play (of the Jadwin Memorial Tournament) right now so it's nice to start the weekend off with a win. The top four are the only ones that get to advance to Sunday. That's only a third of the teams competing. So it's good to start off on the right foot."

Post 757's JD Blevins (2-1) was knocked around a bit in the first inning. After dodging a couple bullets, the southpaw calmed down and threw gas the rest of the way. Blevins picked up the win in 6 1/3 innings of work, allowing just two hits and fanning 13.

"JD was a stud tonight," Barr said. "He started slow, but part of that was because of being out of rhythm a bit. But he stepped up after. I talked to him, and JD is his biggest critic. The first thing he commented about was his six walks. So he knows we can't have that. But he continued to battle and got the win."

The Riverbats (3-5) took a 1-0 lead in the first when Carson Stauffer stole home after reaching on a catcher's interference call.

That slight edge would last until the fifth, when Smith knocked in Corey Righman and Trenton Harris with a single up the middle, giving the Colts a 2-1 lead. Smith later scored on a Riverbats fielding error to extend the advantage to 3-1.

In the sixth, 757 got a leadoff hit from Anthony Sipple, who proceeded to swipe second base with no outs. Blevins followed with a single of his own to plate Sipple and make it a 4-1 ballgame. With Blevins standing on second after a stolen base, Bo Dratwa drew a two-out walk to set the stage for Harris.

On the first pitch he saw, Harris lined a ball into the left-center field gap for a bases-clearing triple, making it 6-1.

"Trenton is doing really well, and he's doing a really nice job at shortstop as well," Barr said. "He's just getting better and better and better. I've had him lower in the lineup, kind of treating him as a second leadoff guy. That's a nice thing to have."

Post 62 scored its second and final run in the top of the seventh after Blevins exited the ballgame. Stauffer crossed home plate on an RBI single off the bat of Gage Jones to round out the 6-2 final.

Jones finished 2-for-3 with an RBI, while Stauffer was 0-for-2 with two runs. Jeff Webb took the loss on the mound, throwing five innings, giving up five runs — just two earned — on eight hits and striking out one.

For 757, Harris led the offense with a 3-for-3 outing, including a triple, a run and a pair of RBIs. Cody Hendershot was 2-for-3; Smith was 1-for-4 with a run and two RBIs; and Blevins was 1-for-3 with a run, two stolen bags and an RBI.

Courtesy of Chillicothe Gazette Staff 7:13 p.m. EDT May 14, 2016

FRANKFORT - Weather played a factor in the start time of the game, but it played no factor in the outcome.

Adena started off sluggish, but quickly shook it off and exploded for seven runs in the third inning on the way to a 12-1 victory in five innings over the North Adams Devils in a Division III Sectional Final on Saturday afternoon.

“It was a sloppy day as far as the weather goes,” Adena coach Tom Barr said. “Our guys put in about two hours’ worth of work before we even started to get ready for the game, but I thought they were able to refocus and play very well. J.D (Blevins) did a good job; Gunnar Free was huge for us. The guys that we expect to step up for us stepped up and our seniors wanted this win since it’s the last time playing at home, and they took care of business.”

J.D. Blevins was masterful on the mound, throwing the complete game, giving up just four hits, walking one batter and sitting down 10 Devil batters. Although he was just 0 for 1 at the dish, he did reach base twice and scored on each trip.

“He was really good on the mound,” Barr said. “We’ve continued to harp on J.D. all season about pitching more efficient and throwing more strikes. We feel like our defense is very solid and we continue to work on getting his pitch count lower. He’s gotten better all year long. He came out and didn’t start the way we wanted him to, but he withstood the weather, rebounded and got more efficient as the game went along.”

The Warriors struck first in the opening inning. Leadoff hitter Collin Cory drew a walk, which was follow by Gunnar Free hitting a single, advancing Cory to third base. Jonathan Thomas hit a sacrifice fly to right field, scoring Cory and giving Adena (18-7) a 1-0 lead.

Following a base hit by Cole Meade, the next three batters for North Adams struck out, but not before Meade scored the only Devil run of the day on a passed ball to tie the score at 1.

For that point on, it was all Adena.

North Adams committed two critical fielding errors, allowing Adena to put runners on base and in position to make the Devils pay. After Hayden Henness was hit by a pitch to load the bases, Cory stepped to the plate and ripped a 2-run double to regain the lead for Adena at 3-1. The next Warrior batter laid down a bunt and a bad throw to the catcher resulted in two more runners crossing the plate before a ground ball ended the inning.

“We haven’t bunted a lot this year,” Barr said. “We’ve worked on it since January and although we’re starting to bunt a little more, I was a little frustrated that we didn’t get a couple more bunts down that we wanted to, but we were very efficient with our small ball game and that’s something we’ll continue to work on.”

After North Adams left a runner on base to end the top half of the third, Adena put the game on ice. Following back-to-back walks by Jake Dawson and Blevins, Tommy Preston launched a double down the left field line, scoring Dawson and extending the lead to 6-1. Another fielding error by the Devils resulted in two more Adena runners crossing home plate, making the score 8-1.

Despite a pitching change, Adena refused to let off the gas. Thomas belted a double to right center field, scoring Bo Dratwa and Henness and pushing the score to 10-1. An RBI groundout by Braden Wilburn made the score 11-1, and while Dawson was caught in a rundown, Thomas crossed the plate, rounding out what would be the final score.

Free led the Warriors, going 3 for 3 at the plate with three singles, a run scored and an RBI. Cory went 1 for 3 with two RBIs and two runs scored, Thomas was 1 for 3 with two RBIs and a run scored while Preston also went 1 for 3 with an RBI and a run scored.

Adena marches ahead to district tournament action Wednesday at VA Memorial Stadium, where they’ll square up with the winner between Southeastern and Crooksville.

“We want to win every day,” Barr said. “As long as we take care of business, we’re in good shape. We know a lot about Southeastern, they’ve played us twice and they’re tough. I don’t know anything about Crooksville at this point, but regardless of who we play if we go out and play our game, things will work out for us. It’s good to be a sectional championship, great positive for our seniors and our club, but we’re ready to keep going.”

 Derrick Webb, Reporter12:25 a.m. EDT May 11, 2016

CHILLICOTHE - The Scioto Valley Conference unveiled its 2016 spring all-conference teams Tuesday and both Zane Trace's Pierce Mowery and Unioto's Brooke Blevins walked away with the biggest pieces of hardware.

Mowery was named the 2016 Baseball Player of the Year while Blevins took home 2016 Softball Player of the Year honors. Mowery's Pioneers won the league with a mark of 12-2 and posted an overall record of 20-7. Blevins' Shermans also topped the conference at 12-2 while going 19-7 overall.

During his senior year — the first full season of baseball he's played since eighth grade — Mowery hit like a mad man. In 96 official at-bats, the shortstop collected 49 base knocks, hitting .510. He also scored a league-leading 45 runs and stole 18 bases. When called upon, he also saw success on the mound, throwing nine innings and allowing just one earned run; an ERA of 0.78.

Blevins, also a senior, did her damage in the pitcher's circle and at the plate. In the circle, Blevins was 18-5 with a 1.49 ERA. In 164 innings pitched, she struck out 178 hitters while walking just 13. At the plate, she was 33-for-77 on the year, a .429 average. Going alongside those numbers was a total of 14 runs scored, four stolen bases, and a team-high 27 RBIs.

Blevins' head coach Brad Jadwin was adorned with 2016 SVC Coach of the Year honors as Unioto won its first conference title since 2013.

Joining Mowery with first-team baseball selections was teammate Trey Davis, Paint Valley's Anthony McFadden, Adena's Collin Cory and Braden Wilburn, Unioto's Clay Edler and Ryan Sigler, Westfall's Dustin Kaiser and Southeastern's Tanner Popp.

Davis hit .427 with a league-high 42 RBIs while McFadden posted a 0.82 ERA on the hill, going 6-1 and striking out a league-high 78 batters. Cory hit .444 (36-for-81) as the leadoff spot for the Warriors while Wilburn led Adena with a .452 average (33-for-73). Edler was magnificent on the bump, going 7-1 and giving up just eight earned runs in 47 1/3 innings. Sigler was 4-3 on the hill and struck out 46 batters. Kaiser hit .493 for the Mustangs while collecting 34 hits and scoring 24 runs. Popp hit .377 and went 6-5 on the bump, pitching 65 innings for the Panthers.

Second-team baseball selections are as follows: Teagan McFadden (Sr., Paint Valley); Jeremy Brooks (Jr., Zane Trace); Brian Smith (Jr., Huntington); Casey White (Jr., Unioto); Alex Wolff (Sr., Zane Trace); Riley Harris (Sr., Piketon); Justin Dye (Sr., Southeastern); Owen Diehl (Sr., Southeastern); JD Blevins (So., Adena).

Honorable mention baseball selections are as follows: Hayden Henness and Jonathan Thomas (Adena); Devon Byrd and Merfel Conley (Huntington); Skyler Knisley and Drake Stanforth (Paint Valley); Jacob Chester and Ethan Crabtree (Piketon); Rex Hartman and Carson Stauffer (Southeastern); Ryan Burns and Gavin Ogan (Unioto); Tyler Armentrout and Corbin Ferrell (Westfall); Joel Dunkle and Josh George (Zane Trace).

Joining Blevins with first-team softball selections were teammates Jayla Campbell and Jordyn Pierce, Paint Valley's Mikayla Newland, Westfall's Regan Stonerock and Becca Brown, Southeastern's Lexy Cooper, Zane Trace's Katie Unger, and Huntington's Rikki Magill.

Campbell, a freshman, stole 25 bases, had a league-high 27 hits and scored a league-high 38 runs while Pierce hit .360 with three home runs in the heart of the Shermans' order. Newland was dominant in the circle, going 14-6 and striking out 313 batters with a 0.21 ERA. Cooper hit .371 and stole 26 bases for Southeastern while Unger led the league in round-trippers with five alongside 23 RBIs. Magill hit .391 and scored 19 times.

Second-team softball selections are as follows: Lea McFadden (Fr., Paint Valley); D'Lani Swackhammer (Sr., Zane Trace); Emily Robinson (So, Westfall); Cameryn Alexander (Fr., Piketon); Gracie Smith (So., Piketon); Makayla Carroll (Jr., Southeastern); Summer Sigman (So., Unioto); Carly Carroll (Jr., Adena); Kelsie Robinson (Sr., Westfall).

Honorable mention softball selections are as follows: Brooklyn Detty and Devon Putnam (Adena); Kennedy DeBord and Brookelyn Neighbors (Huntington); Savannah Johnson and Madison Smith (Paint Valley); Faith Pack and Erykah Scott (Piketon); Cindellynn Murta and Audrie Wheeler (Southeastern), Payge Arledge and McKenna Jones (Unioto); Makayla Terry and Holley Webb (Westfall); Morgan Arledge and Taylor Stacy (Zane Trace).

dwebb@chillicothegazette.com

Twitter: @dw1509

 Derrick Webb, Reporter10 p.m. EDT April 29, 2016

FRANKFORT - Sophomore JD Blevins still is undefeated, still has an ERA below 2.00 and still keeps his calm in pressure situations.

The young southpaw guided Adena back on track after uncharacteristic back-to-back losses this week in a 5-1 win against Huntington on Friday night at Adena High School.

En route to the win, Blevins (5-0) went all seven innings while throwing a total of 113 pitches — 75 for strikes. He struck out 12 and walked three.

"We've been stretching JD out all season long, and he's a kid that we feel comfortable with right now," Adena coach Tom Barr said. "We're blessed with pitching on this team. We'll have about four or five guys that are now ready to go Monday since we don't play over the next few days. JD did get into some trouble tonight, but he kept control just like we expect him to."

Facing Blevins in the duel was Huntington's Merfel Conley, a right hander who has been decent all year long. Conley (2-5) also was impressive, throwing six innings and allowing just one earned run. The senior fanned three and allowed just one free pass in the loss.

"Merfel has good velocity, and over our past two games, we've seen a couple of slow lefties," Barr said. "We knew that we were going to get Huntington's best tonight, but that's what we want. We like that. I think, other than Paint Valley, we've had everybody's best. For us, we're still interested in playing late in May. That's where our mentality and goals lie."

The Warriors (14-5, 10-2 Scioto Valley Conference) scored out of the gate. Leadoff hitter Collin Cory drew a walk in the first inning and would cross home plate on an RBI single into left field from Braden Wilburn.

Thanks to three runs in the fourth, Adena then was able to enjoy a little breathing room.

Senior Cy Carroll singled to start the inning before moving to second on a second straight single, this time from Collin Cory. With two outs in the inning and Wilburn at the plate, Huntington (8-12, 1-11 SVC) committed a costly fielding error that allowed both Carroll and Cory to score. Blevins then laced a ball into deep right-center field to plate Carroll and make it a 4-0 ballgame.

The Huntsmen finally broke through in the top of the sixth when Devon Byrd knocked in Elijah McCloskey on an opposite field RBI single to make it 4-1. But the Warriors took a 5-1 lead in the bottom of the inning — on an RBI single from Bo Dratwa — and eventually the win.

"We have to make sure we shape up at the plate, but I'm happy with how we swung the bats, for the most part, tonight," Barr said. "We hit a couple of hard balls that were just right at (Huntington)."

Blevins and Wilburn both went 1-for-3 at the plate with a run and RBI each. Dratwa finished 1-for-3 with an RBI and stolen base as Collin Cory went 1-for-2 with two runs. Cy Carroll, playing on his Senior Night, also was 1-for-3 with a run.

For the Huntsmen, Byrd was 1-for-2 with the RBI while Jacob Pugh, Conley, and Travis Atwood all went 1-for-3. McCloskey was 0-for-3 but did a score a run and steal a bag.

The Warriors will travel to Paint Valley on Monday while Huntington is in action the same day against Zane Trace at home.

dwebb@chillicothegazette.com

Twitter: @dw1509

Itty Bitty Baseball

VARSITY

1 - JD Blevins - 5

2 - Bo Dratwa - 3

3 - Collin Cory - 2

T4 - Wilburn, Throckmorton, Reisinger, Preston & Howard - 1

JUNIOR VARSITY (as of 4/15/2016)

1 - Caleb Fogelson - 3

T1 - Josh Morgan - 3

2 - Ethan Cunningham - 2

T2 - Garrett Cornell - 2

T3 - Dillon, Kunkel & Fout - 1

 Derrick Webb, Reporter9:11 p.m. EDT April 16, 2016

CHILLICOTHE - After starting the season 2-2, the defending Scioto Valley Conference champions have seemingly righted the ship for good.

The Adena Warriors (8-2, 5-1 SVC) swept a twin bill at the expense of the Amanda-Clearcreek Aces in a Saturday doubleheader at VA Memorial Stadium. The 7-1 and 10-0 wins extended the Warriors' current win streak to six games.

"Our players were not happy with their performance the last time we lost," Adena coach Tom Barr said.  "We understand that we didn't come out of the gate the way we need to to accomplish what we want to accomplish. This team is a close-knit group, but very competitive, so they challenge each other every day."

While the offense experienced an early-season slump, Adena's pitching has been right on par. That was once again the case Saturday as Gunnar Free and Jake Dawson combined to throw 13 innings of one-run baseball.

"Coach Chad Carroll, our pitching coach, has done a great job with this group. We've been very diligent about making certain that pitchers are getting their work in to be comfortable on the bump," Barr said. "Jake Dawson threw good in scrimmages, but hasn't pitched since. Today, Jake's first outing of the year, he comes out confident and understands that he needs to work ahead in the count, pitch to contact and let our defense do their jobs. Gunnar did the same thing, kept walks down, worked ahead of the hitters and made the hitters hit his pitches. The defense has been very solid overall, but should improve as the season continues."

In the first game, Free took the ball and got seven runs of support.

The Warriors took a 1-0 lead in the top of the third inning when leadoff hitter Collin Cory scored on an RBI groundout from Free, who was helping his own cause. The edge then grew to 3-0 in the fourth when Braden Wilburn scored on a JD Blevins RBI double before Blevins himself crossed home plate on a passed ball.

Amanda-Clearcreek's lone run came in the bottom of the fourth and wasn't charged to Free's ledger as the Aces scored on an error. The Warriors added one more in the sixth when Blevins knocked in Jonathan Thomas with an RBI single, making it 4-1. In the seventh, Adena scored three more for insurance purposes with an additional RBI being credited to Blevins, who finished 2-for-3 with three RBIs and a run scored.

"Our guys are doing a much better job with pitch selection and understanding when we are in a position to wait on the pitch we want instead of just swinging the bat," Barr said. "We've dedicated more practice time to hitting and it's also very true that hitting is contagious."

Barr's theory was absolutely correct, as Adena put on an offensive clinic in the matinee contest.

The Warriors scored one in the first, four in the second, four in the fifth, and one in the sixth to seal the envelope on a 10-0 final.

Free (2-0) allowed just five hits and struck out three in the first victory while Dawson (1-0) allowed two hits, walked a pair, and fanned eight.

Aside from Blevins' performance in the first contest, Cory was 2-for-4 with a double and two runs while Thomas and Braden Wilburn each finished 2-for-3 with a run. In the second game, Cory was 2-for-4 with three RBIs and two runs while Dawson went 2-for-4 with an RBI.

Adena will try and win its seventh straight ballgame Monday night when the Warriors host the Piketon Redstreaks.

dwebb@chillicothegazette.com

Twitter: @dw1509