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TORONTO -- It took time for the Toronto baseball team's bat too heat up on a cold first day of the season.
After stranding runners at third in each of the first two innings, Toronto tallied 10 runs in the next three innings to defeat Mineral Ridge, 10-0, via mercy rule in the season opener on a cold Saturday afternoon at the Knights Baseball Complex.
"It was really nice to get out and play a game," Toronto (1-0) head coach Brian Perkins said. "It was nice to be able to get out and play a game."
The temperature was in the 30s and the sky was overcast for the majority of the game, however, the sun managed to briefly peak through the clouds duing the bottom of the fifth inning.
"We played pretty well," Perkins said. "Our at-bats were not very good early one. We did not have good at-bats at the beginning. Mineral Ridge's pitcher did a very good job of keeping us off-balance. We were able to make the adjustment, and we had real good at-bats after that."
The Red Knights plated three runs in the third, three in the fourth and four in the fifth to bring the game to an end.
With it being the opening day of the season, Toronto gave the ball to Chase Derrington, and the senior delivered on the mound. Derrington struck out 10, walked one and did not allow a hit through the first four innings. He did give up back-to-back base hits in the fifth, however, he rebounded to strike out the next two batters to keep the Rams (0-1) off the scoreboard.
"He did a fantastic job," Perkins said. "He mixed in all of his pitches. He threw strikes. He kept them off-balance. He's a senior, and I wanted to give him the ball on Opening Day. He did a great job. I could not be happier for him."
Jackie Gillie started the game on the mound for Mineral Ridge, and he was saddled with the loss. Gillie struck out six and walked three in four innings of work.
Christian Dunlap replaced Gillie to start the fifth inning, and he did not record a strikeout, walked one and hit two. Dunlap only recorded one out – that coming on a sacrifice bunt after the first two batters on the inning reached base.
After a strikeout to start the home half of the first, senior standout Dom Bouscher belted a double, and he ended up stealing third, however, Gillie struck out the next two batters to end the threat and get out of the inning unscathed.
In the second, catcher Caden McGrath singled and then stole second and third, but he was also left in scoring position when Gillie retired the next two batters to keep the game scoreless.
The boys from the Gem City finally broke through in the third.
Cole Barcus started the inning with a triple to center field, Aiden Filby walked and stole second and Bouscher walked to load the bases. Russ Dickinson then grounded out to short allowing Barcus to score the game's first run giving the hosts a 1-0 advantage. Then with two outs, Nate Brownfield singled home Filby and Bouscher to give the Red and White a 3-0 advantage.
The Knights collected three more runs in the fourth.
Barcus walked with one out, and Bouscher drew a two-out walk to keep the inning alive. Barcus, who stole second and third, scored on a single by Russ Dickinson, and Bouscher who stole second, scored on a throwing error on the play to extend the winning team's lead to 5-0. Close followed with an RBI single to score Russ Dickinson to make it a 6-0 ballgame.
"We did a really good job of creating opportunities for ourselves," Perkins said. "We were able to take the extra bases when we needed to. I was pleased with that aspect of the game."
Brownfield got hit by a pitch to lead off the fifth, and McGrath contributed his second single of the game to put two runners on base. A sacrifice bunt by Nolan Dickinson advanced the two runners, and Tanner Ensell was walked to load the bases. Barcus was then hit by a pitch to plate Brownfield to give the victors a 7-0 advantage. Filby followed with a single scoring McGrath to make the score 8-0. Bouscher reached on an error allowing Ensell to score to increase Toronto's advantage to 9-0 before Russ Dickinson singled home Barcus to end the game.
Gino Novello and Zack Staccy singled for Mineral Ridge.
"This is our first time playing them," Perkins said. "Their coach (Anthony Ragozine) does a real good job. They called and asked if we wanted to play, and we were happy to host them today. They are going to win a lot of games this year."
Toronto 10, Mineral Ridge 0
Mineral Ridge 000 00 – 0 2 3
Toronto 003 34 – 10 9 1
MINERAL RIDGE (0-1): J. Gillie LP (4IP, 6K, 3BB), Dunlap (1/3IP, 0K, 1BB) and Vestorskey. Novello S; Sacy S
TORONTO (1-0): Derrington WP (10K, 1BB) and McGrath. Filby S, RBI; Bouscher D; R. Dickinson 2S, 3RBI; Close S; Brownfield S, 2RBI; McGrath 2S; Barcus T, RBI