North Royalton breezes past Warren Harding

The No. 6 ranked Bears posted a 13-2 win over the Raiders.
By PETE MOLLICA
VINDICATOR SPORTS STAFF
STRUTHERS -- North Royalton baseball coach Don Filips knew it was important to get off to a good start in the Division I district semifinal game Wednesday afternoon at Cene Park.
The Bears jumped out to a 4-0 lead over Warren Harding in the first inning and cruised to a 13-2 victory that put them into today's district final against Boardman-Painesville Riverside. Today's final will be at 4:30 p.m. at Cene Park Field 1.
"Getting out to a 4-0 lead was really important," said Filips. "Eric Gradert had a big clutch hit and we had their pitcher kind of shell-shocked a little bit after that."
Had 10 batters in first
The Bears (22-3), ranked No. 6 in the final coaches poll released by Associated Press, sent 10 batters to the plate against Harding starter Tom Popadak.
Popadak didn't help himself in the inning with three walks along with one Harding error and the Raiders started out in a big hole.
"You've got to give those guys [North Royalton] credit, the just sat back and waited for the fast ball and Tom [Popadak] was getting it up a little early," said Harding coach Ed Shaker.
"We didn't do a lot of things to help ourselves today," added Shaker. "And Tommy throwing 42 pitches in the first inning, we knew he wouldn't be able to go the whole way."
With two outs in the first and a runner on first base, Gradert doubled to deep left-center field scoring the first run, then the Bears added two more hits and a Harding error to plate four runs.
Geisler shut down Raiders
The Raiders had plenty of problems with North Royalton's starting pitcher Greg Geisler, who pitched the first five innings and allowed just two hits and struck out eight.
Geisler (5-0) walked the first two batters in the sixth before being relieved by Bret Munich.
"Greg was a big key for us in winning the sectionals last week," Filips said. "He was up around 82 pitches when we took him out."
Harding scored its first run without a hit in the fourth inning, already down 7-0.
De'Andre Ware was hit by a pitch, stole second and went to third on a passed ball. He scored on an infield ground out.
Harding's second run came in the sixth when Ware walked to lead off the inning, took second on a wild pitch and scored on Popadak's single to left field.
The Bears added one run in the second, two more in the fourth, two in the fifth and then batted around in the seventh when they scored four more, getting five hits in the inning.
North Royalton finished with 11 hits two each by Mike Estep, Gradert, Dan Gliot and Matt Seeman. Gradert and Estep had the only extra base hits, both doubles, while Estep was on base all five times and scored four runs.
Harding (18-8) finished with just three hits all singles by Ryan Romack, Andy Dobson and Caullen Owens.
"We've had our ups and downs all season long, but we've got a lot of young kids returning, still you hate to end the year with a 13-2 defeat," said Shaker.
mollica@vindy.com