Blue Dons open regionals with a win
Andrew Grimm RUNNING HARD — Madonna's Connor Lancaster races to third base after teammate hit the ball on Tuesday in regional action.
Andrew Grimm FIRING — Madonna starter Evan Kaczmarek delivers against Clay-Battelle.
Andrew Grimm ON THE MOVE — Madonna's Jacob Lazear takes off on the bases.
Andrew Grimm MAKING A PLAY — Madonna shortstop Maddox Bowen throws for an out.
Andrew Grimm HEADED HOME — Madonna's Reno Fuscardo heads home on a sac fly for the go-ahead run.
Andrew Grimm IN THE FIELD — Madonna second baseman Luke Wingett makes a throw to first for an out.
Andrew Grimm RUNNING HARD — Madonna's Connor Lancaster races to third base after teammate hit the ball on Tuesday in regional action.
Andrew Grimm FIRING — Madonna starter Evan Kaczmarek delivers against Clay-Battelle.
Andrew Grimm ON THE MOVE — Madonna's Jacob Lazear takes off on the bases.
Andrew Grimm MAKING A PLAY — Madonna shortstop Maddox Bowen throws for an out.
Andrew Grimm HEADED HOME — Madonna's Reno Fuscardo heads home on a sac fly for the go-ahead run.
Andrew Grimm IN THE FIELD — Madonna second baseman Luke Wingett makes a throw to first for an out.
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WEIRTON -- Competing in the new double elimination regional format, Madonna knew starting off with a victory would be important.
The Blue Dons got off to a slow start in that quest, but got the bats going with a big fifth inning to pull away from Clay-Battelle for a 6-2 victory in the opening round of Class A, Region 1 bracket action.
"Winning the first one is important," Madonna head coach TJ Miller said. "We knew Clay-Battelle was going to come here and play hard, it was a tough opening round match up for us, they're a good ball club.
"We hit the ball well today and we played a much better defensive game than we have the last few games. This is when you want to be peaking and make noise."
With the win, Madonna will take on top seed Cameron on the road today in the winner's bracket. The Dragons defeated No. 8 Clarksburg Notre Dame 11-1 on Tuesday in their opening round game.
Clay-Battelle will face Valley in an elimination game.
"I told these guys it's one day at a time," Miller said. "It was a great win today to start it off, but there's a lot of work left to do. We have to take it one day at a time, one game at a time. We're going to enjoy the win now and then get right back at it."
After falling behind 1-0 in the top of the first, a run scoring on an error, Madonna stranded three men in their first two turns at bat.
In the third, though, Reno Fuscardo doubled to lead off and a Jacob Lazear sac fly tied the score.
The Dons left two more stranded in the fourth, but finally broke through with two outs in the fifth, Sam Brooks and Evan Kaczmarek hitting back-to-back RBI singles then Connor Lancaster sending a ball into the outfield that was misplayed, allowing two more runs to cross.
Madonna (13-12) added a run in the sixth on a two-out RBI single from Maddox Bowen.
"Our approaches at the plate got better," Miller said. "We have kind of had that habit all season, leaving guys on, but we're working on our approaches at the plate and once these guys started buying in and letting the ball travel, thinking middle, the hits started coming and we started capitalizing and broke it open a little bit."
Kaczmarek started on the mound and fired five no-hit innings, allowing just the unearned run. He struck out five but walked five, elevating his pitch count. Fuscardo came on and fired the next 1 2/3. After the Cee-Bees (10-11) plated a run and had runners on the corners, Lazear came on and recorded the final out for a save.
"I thought Kaczmarek put is in a very good position to win, he did a good job," Miller said.
Fuscardo, Brooks, Kaczmarek and Lancaster each had two hits on the day.
WVSSAC Class A Tournament
Region 1 Opening Round
At Bowman Field
No. 4 Madonna 6, No. 5 Clay-Battelle 2
CB 1-0-0 0-0-0. 1 -- 2 2 2
M 0-0-1 0-4-1 x -- 6 10 2
CLAY-BATTELLE (10-11): Strosnider (LP, 5IP, 5R, 3ER, 4K, 2BB), Mercer (1IP, 1R, 1ER, 2H, 0K, 0BB) and Parker. Huggins S; Coen S, RBI.
MADONNA (13-12): Kaczmarek (WP, 5IP, 1R, 0ER, 0H, 5K, 5BB), Fuscardo (1 2/3IP, 1R, 1ER, 2H, 0K, 1BB), Lazear (SV, 1/3IP, 0R, 0H, 0K, 0BB) and Lancaster. Fuscardo D, S; Bowen 2S, RBI; Lazear S, RBI; Brooks S, RBI; Kaczmarek 2S, RBI; Lancaster 2S.