| Jackets show no signs of rust in winning spring diamond debut |
By: Stephanie Sturgis - Press Sports Editor
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Posted: Thursday, March 12, 2009 4:46 pm
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Tricky — After taking the throw from starting pitcher Dalton Potts, Greenfield first baseman Steven Johnson (left) applies the tag to Red Devil baserunner Caleb Knott during season-opening action on Monday afternoon in Bradford. Greenfield won 13-0.
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The Greenfield Yellowjackets baseball team looked sharp in their 2009 debut on the mound, at the plate and in the field.
The Jackets made the short trip to neighboring Bradford and handed the host Red Devils a resounding 13-0 defeat.
"I was pretty pleased with our effort. We put the ball in play and made their defense have to field the ball. We were aggressive at the plate; sometimes that's not the case early in the season. Our fielding looked fairly solid too," Greenfield head baseball coach Willie Trevathan said after the victory.
The Jackets jumped in front in the top of the first inning, plating their first run of the season. Dalton Potts ripped a ground-rule double to center field. Potts advanced to third on a wild pitch and scored on a sacrifice fly to center by Ty Smithson.
Potts then took the mound for GHS and the left-hander struck out the first two batters he faced, but gave up a walk before getting a fly out to Smithson at second base.
Greenfield used six singles to plate a half dozen runs in the top of the second to take control of the game. Heath Crouse led off with a bloop single to shallow right field and scored on a single by designated hitter Jake Lasater. Other Jackets who singled and scored in the inning were Jacob Johnson, Steven Sawyers and Smithson. Smithson drove in two runs with his base knock to left. Sawyers, Potts and Daniel Ricketts also knocked in a run in the at-bat. Cody Ricketts drew a walk and scored as Greenfield boosted its lead to 7-0.
Bradford had its best chance to score a run in the bottom of the second inning. Potts gave up a leadoff walk to Caleb Knott before striking out Peyton Featherstone for the first out. Potts then picked off Knott for the second out. That play proved key in preserving the shutout as Mario Rios and Justin Cates knocked back-to-back singles.
With two runners on base, Potts got the next Bradford batter to dribble a grounder to first baseman Steven Johnson, who stepped on the bag for the third out in the inning.
The only inning Greenfield was held scoreless was the third as Knott retired the side in order, but not before Lasater excited the crowd by fouling a ball into the light standard between home plate and first base, shattering one of the bulbs.
After Potts struck out the first batter he faced, an error allowed Bradford's Alex Steele to reach. Greenfield erased him from the base paths on an attempted steal. GHS catcher Daniel Ricketts fired a strike down to second base where shortstop Cody Ricketts applied the tag.
After using singles to score the bulk of their runs, Greenfield got its second extra base hit of the campaign. Potts led off the at-bat by working for a walk. He stole second base before Smithson ripped a shot over the left-field fence for a two-run homer and a 9-0 lead.
The Jackets weren't done as Steven Johnson was hit by a pitch, advanced to second on a Crouse single and scored on Jacob Johnson's RBI single through the hole at short.
Ahead 10-0 through three-and-a-half innings, Trevathan called on Crouse to close out the game on the mound. He struck out two of the first three batters he faced and retired the side in order in the bottom of the fourth.
The GHS runs kept coming in the top of the fifth. The Yellowjackets got a leadoff double from Cody Ricketts and scored on a single by Potts. Potts later scored on an error. Steven Johnson reached on a fielder's choice and scored the final run on a fielder's choice in Greenfield's 13-0 win.
Smithson went 3-for-4 with three runs scored, five RBIs and a home run in the victory.
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