Senior first baseman Justin Angel (2 for 3) hit a three-run home down the left-field line to put the Warriors up 3-0 in the second inning, and a triple to deep right-center field by sophomore center fielder Adam Whitacre scored the first run in the Warriors’ five-run fifth, breaking open a 3-1 game.
“Our approach to the plate is just hit the ball, score as many runs as we can, and not let up,” said junior Reid Entsminger (1-0), who allowed one run (zero earned), two hits and two walks while striking out seven in four innings. “We knew we were going to be good this year. It’s just how far we want to push ourselves.
“We have all the potential in the world, we just have to prove it to everyone else. Every game, we’ve got to play 100 percent and hit the ball. That’s what we have been doing for the most part.”
Early on, the Warriors (10 hits) had trouble making contact of any kind on Friday though.
James Wood senior pitcher Colin Benner (2-1) struck out the side in the first, and through four innings, he had eight strikeouts.
“Benner shut us down early,” Sherando coach Pepper Martin said. “He did a really nice job of getting ahead in the count. I’ve got to give him a lot of credit. He was getting ahead early, and he was locating his pitches excellently. Wherever the catcher was setting up, he was hitting the spots.”
Unfortunately for Benner, one pitch — and a fielding mistake before it — put James Wood in a hole that it couldn’t climb out of.
With runners on first and second and one out, Benner threw a pitch that nearly had Angel out in front, but he stayed back just enough to keep the ball fair, and the ball dropped just over the fence down the left-field line.
Angel said he had no idea the ball had even gone over until he got a slap on the hand from his coach as he charged around first base.
“It was definitely a good feeling to get runs up,” Angel said.
James Wood coach Jared Mounts said Angel’s hit was more damaging than it should have been. Two batters before, Entsminger bunted a ball straight toward the mound that could have been turned into an out. But Benner and catcher Dakota Orndorff had a moment of indecision as to who should pick it up, and Entsminger was safe at first.
James Wood would close to 3-1 on an RBI single by Nick Goode in the third, but Entsminger got a big strikeout on a curve to end the inning with runners on first and second.
Martin said he was definitely pleased with his team’s pitching, which limited James Wood to just three hits while recording 12 strikeouts. John Bentley (two-run single and a stolen base at the plate) pitched the fifth and sixth and Taylor Loudan (two runs scored) pitched the seventh.
“In two days, we’ve pitched five pitchers, and all five of them have done a nice job,” said Martin, whose staff goes eight deep. “And they’re going to have to. The way this spring’s been weather-wise, we’re getting backed up to the point where we’re going to be consistently playing four games a week, and along with the new pitching changes, each of those pitchers is going to need to contribute.”
One thing Martin didn’t like was Sherando’s two-strike approach, which led to 13 strikeouts. Mounts wasn’t happy with his team’s strikeout numbers, either.
“[Entsminger] did a good job, but we had entirely too many strikeouts,” Mounts said. “We’ve got to make adjustments. You’ve got to make contact, and you’ve got to put the ball in play and give yourself a chance.”
Benner wound up surrendering seven runs (six earned), eight hits and one walk with the eight strikeouts in 41/3 innings.
Also leading Sherando on offense was Chase Smallwood (2 for 3 with a double and three RBIs) and Jacob Carney (a double, RBI and two runs).