Clippers make most of their chances

By John Bassetti

bassetti@vindy.com

STRUTHERS

The outcome can’t be good when the greatest of a team’s big three — runs-hits-errors — is the errors count.

It — “8”— was the digit of doom for Mathews, which lost to Columbiana, 7-2, in the Division IV baseball district title game Friday at Cene Park.

Columbiana (19-10) will meet Buckeye Central next Thursday at the Lorain Pipe Yard at 5 p.m. in the Clippers’ first regional appearance since 1994, said coach Scott Knox.

“This is good for our program because the kids really work hard and we’re excited to have the opportunity,” said Knox, the Clippers’ third-year coach who also coached teams that reached the regional level when he was the skipper at Maplewood and Boardman.

Although Mathews (19-5) out-hit the Clippers, 7-6, the errors fueled Columbiana’s offense, especially in the third when the Clippers went ahead, 3-0.

“Our offense jumped on them and that helped me keep my composure on the mound and then I got it done,” said Josh Saverko (5-2), who also gave credit to his defense, which had just two errors.

Saverko’s record might be deceiving, but the two losses were against Crestview and Springfield.

It helped that he induced Mathews batters into several pop-ups in the first four innings.

“It was helpful,” said the junior. “Now we’re ready for regional.”

Mathews pulled within 3-1 in the third, but got no closer.

“We didn’t hit the ball like we needed to,” Mathews coach Dan Kennedy said. “We kept changing pitchers and tried to find something that would work near the end,” Kennedy said of removing Collin Bowser in favor of Chris Morgan and then Rick Sommers.

Bowser (6-1) only surrendered four hits over five innings. Columbiana didn’t have an extra-base hit, while Sommers and Morgan had a double each.

“It starts on the mound,” Knox said of Saverko. “He gutted it out and stayed with what we wanted to do. He mixed his pitches, changed location and did a good job of keeping them off balance.”

Knox addressed Mathews’ errors.

“Our guys try to put the ball in play so the other team has to throw and catch. We emphasize pitching and defense and we capitalized on their mistakes and that’s part of the game.”