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Solid defense powers Glaciers
By Tom Williams
STRUTHERS
Ohio Glaciers ace Dalton Donachie has pitched in enough big games to recognize a strong defense.
In Friday’s 3-2 victory over Kuboff & Associates in the opener of a best-of-three Class Little b playoff series at Cene Park, Donachie received plenty of support.
“I definitely did not pitch to my ability,” said Donachie, who earned the win after pitching 42/3 innings. “A game like tonight when you’re not really on, you hope your defense backs you up.
“And they backed me up great tonight,” said Donachie, who was the winning pitcher a month ago when Springfield High won its Division IV state semifinal game over Defiance Tinora in Columbus. “They were making catches in the outfield, they were making plays in the infield.”
Creekside Fitness defeated Astro Falcons, 5-3, for a 1-0 series lead in the other best-of-three series,
Friday’s schedule called for doubleheaders. But 20 minutes before gametime, a huge downpour created an hour delay for the Glaciers-Kuboff game on Field No. 2 and a two-hour delay for the Creekside-Astro contest on Field No. 3.
League officials postponed the second games until this morning at 11:30. If either series needs a third game, it will be played right after the second.
When Kuboff scored twice in the fifth inning to slice the Glaciers’ lead to one, Glaciers manager Richard Serignese relieved Donachie with Richie Serignese.
Serignese retired all seven batters he faced, six on strikeouts. Pinch-hitter Tyler Booher was the only Kuboff batter to put the ball in play against Serignese as he smacked a line drive to center field, but Greg Dunham caught it on the run.
“He made a great running catch,” Serignese said. “Off the bat, I thought that was a double.”
Kuboff had plenty of opportunities, stranding six baserunners in the first five innings.
In the third, Kuboff had two baserunners with one out when Glaciers catcher Jake Smith caught two foul pop-ups to end the inning.
In the fourth, Kuboff again had two on with one out when Donachie induced Alex Gentile to ground into a double play.
The Glaciers, who went 23-4 in the regular season, scored their three runs in the second inning after Jared Kapturasky, Donachie and Serignese loaded the bases with consecutive hits. Two Kuboff errors and an RBI single by Evan Kendall staked Donachie to a 3-0 lead.
Walks led to Kuboff scoring twice in the fifth inning. Brady Reefer and Jake Kaschak opened the inning with free passes. Donachie caught Robert Leon and Gianni Quattro looking at strike three.
Mitch Fyffe’s two-out single scored pinch-runner Pat Carano with Kuboff’s first run. Kaschak took a huge lead at third base. When Donachie threw to third baseman Kendall, Kaschak stole home.
During the game, the managers were told of the schedule change. Because of pitching restrictions, Richard Serignese said the decision “was a little curveball at myself and the Kuboff coach.
“We were told to prepare for two games, so we had to switch gears in the middle of the game,” Serignese said. “I had to do some quick thinking with the pitching [strategy].”
In the other game, Creekside Fitness scored twice in the third and fourth innings. Winning pitcher Jake Potock went the distance, allowing three runs on eight hits while walking only one and striking out 11.
Potock and Jake Egan each had two hits and scored a run. Trent Humphrey hit a RBI double.
Kip DeShields had two hits for Astro.