With the wind ripping across Swanson Field on an unseasonably cold April afternoon, St. Anne’s-Belfield’s offense heated up early, and often, to lock up a 12-2 victory after five innings. It marked the Saints’ second win of the week over Woodberry Forest after a 2-1 road win on Tuesday.
“We were just a little more dialed in offensively today,” said STAB coach Brian Yeagle. “Great stuff from Will [Hass] today. Super effective, just like Alex was on Tuesday, pounding the strike zone.”
STAB sent nine batters to the plate in each of the first two innings and opened a 10-run lead before the Tigers had a batter reach base in the top of the fourth. Junior Will Hass went five complete, allowing just one hit and a single walk.
“I have a great defense behind me and I didn’t want them to stand around in the cold,” Hass said. He delivered 39 of his 62 pitches for strikes and after striking out the first two batters of the game, all other outs were made on balls in play.
His battery mate, junior Jack Pausic, was one of several offensive leaders on the afternoon from his cleanup spot in the order. He reached base on all four of his plate appearances and crossed for two runs. He also tallied two RBI with a towering home run to left center in the second inning that put the Saints up 7-0.
“Our guys were just taking great swings all through the lineup, and that gets contagious,” said Pausic. “Got a pitch I could handle and just tried to put a good swing on it.”
After retiring the side with two strikeouts and a grounder to third, Hass singled to the right side with one out in the bottom of the first. Then, after being ahead in the count against number three hitter Nic Kent, Woodberry starter Calder Clay seemed to be thrown when the base umpire called a balk, sending Hass into scoring position. Clay struggled to connect with catcher Sam Deal’s target, and Kent ended up walking amidst a series of wild pitches and passed balls that allowed Hass to take third and score. Pausic then singled and Alex Markopoulos walked to load the bases before senior first baseman Cooper Allen delivered a three-RBI double to deep right. Allen scored from there with two more pitches that reached the backstop, and STAB led 5-0.
Hass fielded a bunt toward third and fired to first just in time to get the Tigers’ leadoff batter in the second. The side went quietly with two grounders. In the home half, Hass drew a one-out walk from Woodberry’s second pitcher, Will Wallace, before Pausic’s homer. The next three batters also drew walks before senior DH Austin Linthicum, the number eight batter, blooped a two-RBI single to shallow right.
“When guys were on base in front of them, guys had some great situational hitting and really came through,” Yeagle said.
Hass retired 7-8-9 to start the third. Kent drew a two-out walk for STAB and then stole two bases. Pausic reached on a hit-by-pitch and Markopoulos drew his third walk of the game to load the bases again. Kent scored on a wild pitch to tally the Saints’ tenth run through three innings on just five hits.
Woodberry generated some offense after leadoff man Adam Fleck was plunked to start the fourth. Jameson Rice next delivered the Tigers’ only hit, and Clay walked to load the bases with no outs. With a pinch hitter sent to the plate, Markopoulos fielded a grounder to third and fired home in time to force out the lead runner. Then, the Saints looked poised to escape when DH Derek Lora sent a grounder toward Kent at shortstop. After stepping on second for out number two, Kent’s throw to first was off the mark, allowing two runs to score.
Woodberry’s third pitcher, Luke Durham, retired the Saints in order in the fourth, and Hass did the same to the bottom of the Tigers’ order in the top of the fifth. With the score 10-2, the Saints then looked to regain a ten-run differential and end the contest early.
“I just wanted to be aggressive and I knew we needed a couple more,” said Hass after he sent the first pitch to deep center for a double. “We did a great job, unlike Tuesday, of trying to drive into the gaps.”
Kent drew his third walk of the game on four pitches, and a four-pitch walk to Pausic followed. Markopoulos reached for the fourth time when he was hit by a pitch, scoring Hass. With Allen standing in with the bases loaded, a wild pitch that reached the backstop plated Kent to end the game.
STAB hosts Miller on Saturday morning, with first pitch scheduled for 11 a.m.
