Windham closes McDonald's season

The Blue Devils dropped a 7-6 decision to the Bombers.
By PAUL TRGOVAC
VINDICATOR CORRESPONDENT
STRUTHERS -- McDonald scored in five different innings, to just three innings for Windham in their Division IV district championship baseball game Tuesday at Cene Park.
However, Windham scored multiple runs in all three frames while the Blue Devils managed to do that just once. The result was a 7-6 Windham victory that advanced the Bombers (12-3) to the regional tournament next week in Elyria.
"They are a real good baseball team with some explosive offensive players," McDonald coach Dan Williams said.
The Bombers came out of the gate fast. In the bottom of the first inning, the first five batters reached base, with three scoring, two on a single by Brent Fincham.
The Blue Devils cut the lead to 3-1 in the top of the second on a double by Anthony Raschilla, who scored on a sacrifice fly by Mike Gatta.
Bombers rebound
Windham came right back with two runs in the bottom of the frame. Kyle Cooper scored one with a suicide squeeze; then after Matt Heller tripled, Brent Fincham singled to make it 5-1.
"Our game is to score early and to put the pressure on the other team," Windham coach Brian Kiser said.
Paul Logar's triple in the third inning drove home McDonald's second run.
Heller led off Windham's fourth inning with his second triple of the game. He scored on a two-out triple by Cody Apthorpe, who then scored on a passed ball.
"I think Heller is trying to hide behind the stands and figure out a way to play here next week," Kiser said.
McDonald started to cut into the lead, scoring two runs in the fifth. A leadoff walk to Steven Hughes started the rally. A one-out double by Nick Gatta scored Hughes, and Logar drove his second triple of the game to the left-center field alley to score Gatta. Hughes drove home a run with a single in the sixth inning to cut the Windham lead to 7-5.
Logar opened the seventh inning by reaching second on a throwing error. With two outs, Alex Baker singled him home. Baker was balked to second, but the game ended as Apthorpe struck out the last batter.
Apthorpe (3-1), a sophomore, struck out six and allowed five earned runs.
Gatta (2-2), a freshman, suffered the defeat, allowing five earned runs in three innings with two strikeouts.
Raschilla, also a freshman, went the final three innings for McDonald, allowing just one earned run with four strikeouts.
"A small school like us has to play our younger guys and they came through for us," Kiser said.
"We knew we had to come out and outscore them," Williams said. "We threw two freshman tonight and only have four seniors. I told the kids not to get used to losing here. You are going to come back again and again and will win."