MANSFIELD, Ohio – Lexington walked its way to the verge of an Ohio Cardinal Conference baseball title on Wednesday.
The Minutemen (13-8, 9-2) claimed a 7-3 win at defending champion Madison (13-11, 9-2), earning a share of the conference lead with the two teams squaring off again today at Lexington.
Madison starter Josh Smith issued five walks in the first three innings – and all five ended up scoring as Lexington took a 2-1 lead after one inning and 6-1 after three.
“I told our pitchers three weeks ago that if we throw strikes, we win games,” veteran Madison coach Doug Rickert said. “We had that problem early in the year and we had that problem tonight.”
The Madison southpaw needed 31 pitches to escape the first inning. His pitch count was at 76 when his night ended after a third inning that saw Lexington score four times, two on a bases-loaded throwing error.
“That was too many pitchers in too short a time period,” Rickert said. “I am not going to risk injuring a young man just to win a conference title. It was just a bad night. (Smith) has been throwing well all year.”
Lexington starter Hunter Biddle scattered four hits over 4.2 innings, striking out two and walking two, before tiring in the fifth. Evan Lee came on in relief and stranded two Madison runners by striking out Smith. Lee earned the save by working 2.1 innings, allowing one hit while striking out three and walking two.
“(Biddle) gives up some hits because he is a pitch-to-contact kind of pitcher,” Lexington coach Kevin Morrow said. “But he just doesn’t cave in during a big inning. Evan has kind of switched into our closer role and came through big for us tonight.”
Lee and Biddle also led the Lexington offense. Lee doubled and walked twice, scoring two runs. Biddle reached on a walk and an error, scoring two runs and also dropping a perfect bunt on a suicide squeeze in the fourth inning.
Josh Verspoor, Nick Adams and Jacob Odson also had singles for Lexington.
Zane Harris led Madison with a double and two singles. Hunter Ackerman and Kyle Galco also had singles for the Rams, who had the bases loaded and no outs in the sixth inning. But after Cal Rickert plated one run with a sacrifice fly, the next two Rams struck out to end the threat.
“I question if we trusted in ourselves enough to come back when the score was 6-1,” coach Rickert said. “We had our opportunities a couple of times. But when you’re down, it’s tough to get something going sometimes. We need to get the whole lineup hitting. It can’t just be Zane Harris.
“We’re in the same boat we were last year. We just have to go to their place tomorrow and hope (starting pitcher) Michael Penny throws a great game,” Rickert said. “(Penny) started the season season slow, but he has been doing better since. I feel good about having him on the mound.”
The Rams and Minutemen will today resume a game halted by rain in the top of the second inning on Tuesday. Lexington leads 1-0, but the Rams have a runner on base with no outs. The Minutemen will have Austin Eifrid back on the mound.
“Austin has been out best statistical pitcher this season,” Morrow said. “He has pitched against some of the best competition we have played this year and he has kept us in the games.
“We still have to come back and be ready to play tomorrow,” Morrow said. “Madison is fully capable of coming out and delivering a knockout punch.”
