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PITTSBURG —
The St. Mary’s Colgan baseball team preserved a Crawford-Neosho-Cherokee League doubleheader split with Riverton Rams due to solid pitching and one big inning Thursday night at JayCee Ballpark.
Second game starter Christian Cedeno allowed no runs on two hits over five innings, striking out nine batters en route to a 13-0 shutout victory. In the first game, Riverton stormed back from a 5-0 deficit, scored eight runs in the sixth and seventh, and held on for a thrilling 8-6 win as Colgan had the bases loaded with only one out in the bottom of the seventh.
“I was really pleased with how the kids bounced back,” Colgan head coach Mike Watt said. “Christian Cedeno had his best outing of the year. I mean, he looked sharp as I expected him to be coming into the year. He should build and get some confidence on that.”
In the fourth inning, Colgan scored 10 runs on two hits, three errors, three Riverton pitchers and eight walks; 16 batters stepped to the plate against Hunter Deckard, Chandler Underhill and Greyson Spriggs of Riverton. Colton Gilbert led off the fourth with a triple and Jesse Newcomb had a RBI single but otherwise it was errors and walks that produced 10 runs.
In the first game, Riverton caught fire with three runs in the sixth and five runs in the seventh. Deckard led off the seventh with a triple and then Spriggs and Dylan Weaver reached on consecutive walks to load the bases. Tyler Morrill, who pitched four innings and earned a no-decision, hit a three-run double but was thrown out at second base 7-2-6 in the mayhem of Riverton tying up the game at 6. Riverton went ahead two runs on two-out hits by Andy McDonald and Jonathan Patterson.
In the bottom of the seventh, Colgan loaded the bases with two outs left but could not get a single run across as Riverton pitcher Nolan Wall reared back and struck out consecutive hitters.
“First game, I thought V.J. Piccini pitched well,” Watt said. “He definitely threw good enough to win. He gave me six very good innings. Jack (Villamaria) came in and he’s normally my stopper. He comes in and gets it done but it just wasn’t his day.
“You’ve got to give Riverton a lot of credit. They hit the ball well. They outhit us. They put the ball in play and they just took advantage of their opportunities. I think they struggled a little bit early (in the season) to find their identity and I think they’re starting to find it. They’ve got a nice team.”
The St. Mary’s Colgan baseball team preserved a Crawford-Neosho-Cherokee League doubleheader split with Riverton Rams due to solid pitching and one big inning Thursday night at JayCee Ballpark.
Second game starter Christian Cedeno allowed no runs on two hits over five innings, striking out nine batters en route to a 13-0 shutout victory. In the first game, Riverton stormed back from a 5-0 deficit, scored eight runs in the sixth and seventh, and held on for a thrilling 8-6 win as Colgan had the bases loaded with only one out in the bottom of the seventh.
“I was really pleased with how the kids bounced back,” Colgan head coach Mike Watt said. “Christian Cedeno had his best outing of the year. I mean, he looked sharp as I expected him to be coming into the year. He should build and get some confidence on that.”
In the fourth inning, Colgan scored 10 runs on two hits, three errors, three Riverton pitchers and eight walks; 16 batters stepped to the plate against Hunter Deckard, Chandler Underhill and Greyson Spriggs of Riverton. Colton Gilbert led off the fourth with a triple and Jesse Newcomb had a RBI single but otherwise it was errors and walks that produced 10 runs.
In the first game, Riverton caught fire with three runs in the sixth and five runs in the seventh. Deckard led off the seventh with a triple and then Spriggs and Dylan Weaver reached on consecutive walks to load the bases. Tyler Morrill, who pitched four innings and earned a no-decision, hit a three-run double but was thrown out at second base 7-2-6 in the mayhem of Riverton tying up the game at 6. Riverton went ahead two runs on two-out hits by Andy McDonald and Jonathan Patterson.
In the bottom of the seventh, Colgan loaded the bases with two outs left but could not get a single run across as Riverton pitcher Nolan Wall reared back and struck out consecutive hitters.
“First game, I thought V.J. Piccini pitched well,” Watt said. “He definitely threw good enough to win. He gave me six very good innings. Jack (Villamaria) came in and he’s normally my stopper. He comes in and gets it done but it just wasn’t his day.
“You’ve got to give Riverton a lot of credit. They hit the ball well. They outhit us. They put the ball in play and they just took advantage of their opportunities. I think they struggled a little bit early (in the season) to find their identity and I think they’re starting to find it. They’ve got a nice team.”
The Panthers (9-3) are in the midst of a difficult schedule, finishing this week 3-1 against Southeast and Riverton and facing CNC League doubleheaders next week against Girard (Monday) and Frontenac (Thursday), both high-intensity rivalry opponents with league ramifications.
“Southeast was on a roll,” Watt said. “We have Southeast, Riverton, Girard and Frontenac all in a row . . . bang, bang, bang. Yeah, we knew coming in that this would be a tough part of the schedule and we’re going to have play well everyday to win.”
Game One
Riverton baseball 8, St. Mary’s Colgan 6
RIV 000 003 5 — 8 10 3
SMC 104 001 0 — 6 5 2
Tyler Morrill, Jonathan Patterson (5), Nolan Wall (7) and Dylan Weaver. V.J. Piccini, Jack Villamaria (6), Sam Gilbert (7) and Jesse Newcomb. WP: Patterson. LP: Gilbert. 2B: Morrill, Patterson; Gilbert. 3B: Hunter Deckard. SB: Greyson Spriggs, Jake Neal; Nate Grimaldi. SF: Gilbert. HBP: Christian Cedeno. PO: Neal, Wall. LOB: RIV 5, SMC 7.
Game Two
Colgan 13, Riverton 0 (5 innings)
RIV 000 00 — 0 2 5
SMC 210 (10)X — 13 7 1
Nolan Wall, Hunter Deckard (4), Chandler Underhill (4), Greyson Spriggs (4) and Tyler Morrill. Christian Cedeno and Jesse Newcomb, Jacob VanLeeuwen (5). WP: Cedeno. LP: Wall. 2B: Jack Villamaria. 3B: Colton Gilbert. SB: Nate Grimaldi, Gilbert. CS: Drew Gill. SH: Christian Smith. LOB: RIV 5, SMC 7.
Game One
Riverton softball 5, Colgan 3
Game Two
Riverton 8, Colgan 7
