By By STEVE MORRISON / Niles Daily Star
NILES – The "Wicked Wind of the West" created yet another unseasonal venue as Brandywine's top-ranked baseball team continued on its unbeaten streak for the 2008 season.
In the opening game of the round robin tournament at Brandywine High School on Saturday, the Bobcats literally "ran" away with the contest against the Lake Michigan Catholic Lakers by a 12-0 score, which "mercifully" ended after five innings because of the 10-run rule.
LMC had entered the tournament with an 8-1 record and appeared to be a worthy adversary.
The Bobcats stole seven bases during their four at bats against lefty LMC starter Marcus Bledsoe and reliever Jacob Woods. Bledsoe's wildness played a part in the game, as he issued six of Brandywine's seven free passes.
He was wild as the wind, tossing three wild pitches accompanied by a passed ball.
Brandywine's hitters were no slouches at the plate,either, ripping line drives all over the ballpark, 11 of which landed for singles.
Jesse McCombs, Zach Edquist and Taylor Ort, in support of his own cause as the starting pitcher, had two safeties apiece to spearhead the hitting attack.
LMC's offense couldn't touch Ort, who allowed just two hits in his five innings of work.
After Ort struck out Bledsoe, following a walk to LMC's third sacker Michael Bartels to end the top of the first, Brandywine leadoff hitter smacked a liner over second base to begin the bottom half of the inning.
Udell stole second and went to third on a wild pitch. After Bledsoe momentarily regained control, striking out Cam Ondresky and Dominique Pompey, he lost his touch with Dan Reidenbach at bat, hurling a wild pitch that allowed Udell to score the first run of the game.
With runners on first and third for LMC, Ort fanned T.J. Simmons, for the third out to stymie LMC's closest scoring threat of the ballgame in the top of the second.
Following two outs in the bottom of the second, Edquist reached on a boot from LMC shortstop Will Dayley. A second error by Bartels at third base scored Edquist after he had been moved up by another wild pitch by Bledsoe.
A sensational diving catch by LMC centerfielder Mike Cottier retired the side and held off the damage.
With a 2-0 lead, Ort put down the side 1-2-3, in the top of the third and Brandywine's lumber company went to work.
After one out, Reidenbach reached on a free pass. Reidenbach stole second easily. Bobcat shortstop McCombs slapped a single, but Reidenbach was cut down trying to score. Ort, Jake Harris, Edquist and Shane Bankston all ripped line drive singles with two out to give the 'Cats four more scratches on the scoreboard.
LMC was sent away meekly in their top half of the fourth as they managed just a one out walk from Ort. Ort slammed the door, striking out Simmons to finish the frame.
The Bobcats bombed the Lakers in their fourth and final at bat.
Ondresky singled, Pompey followed with a base knock and Reidenbach followed with a walk. McCombs drove in two with a single, followed by Ort's second RBI single of the day. One out later, Edquist hooked a single to left for his second RBI. Edquist scored one batter later on a sacrifice by Cody Udell to make it an even dozen to LMC's doughnuts.
Allowing a leadoff single to LMC first baseman Charlie Stephen, Ort set the next three hitters down, polishing off the win with a whiff of Joey Duddin.
Coach Dave Sidenbender gave every department of his team's performance a high grade.
He was especially impressed with Ort's fine work on the hill and the defensive effort from his squad, in spite of the windy conditions.
In the second game, LMC edged the Hartford Indians 8-7 to come back with a win and balance their day's results.
Hartford, having begun the week at 5-0, slipped to 5-4.
The results for the Indians against the Bobcats in the third game were no better as Brandywine rapped out 15 runs on 15 hits against Indian starter Phillip Earls.
Pompey supplied the power knocking in five runs in a 4-for-4 performance, including a two-run homer that hit the foul pole in the bottom of the fifth. Pompey accumulated six RBI's on four hits for the day.
Cam Ondresky was also 3-for-4 with a double. Harris, Edquist and Reidenbach each registered two hits for the game. Edquist's double in the fifth drove in two to make it 14-5. He scored to conclude the game when the next batter Bankston hit a wicked hopper to the hole that was muffed by the shortstop.
Jesse McCombs won his first game for the Bobcats, allowing five runs in five innings. McCombs struck out six as he was aided by some excellent defense from his teammates.
In the top of the fourth inning, Hartford had taken a brief lead 5-4, but the Bobcats struck back with 11 unanswered runs in the last two innings.
"Our defense has been outstanding the last four, five games … this whole year. I don't have any complaints. I'm really happy with our defense," Brandywine coach Dave Sidenbender pinpointed. "We hit the ball today, we put the ball in play and there were a whole lot of baserunners."
Describing Pompey's homer, Sidenbender commented," that's the only way you're going to hit one today, the way that ball was hit (it was a smoking liner)!"
First Game
LMC 000 00 – 0 2 4
Brandywine 114 6x – 12 10 0
WP – Taylor Ort (B, 3-0), Cody Udell (5) and Cameron Ondresky
LP – Marcus Bledsoe (LMC) and Hipskin
Second Game
Hartford 300 20 – 5 6 2
Brandywine 130 56 – 15 17 0
WP – Jesse McCombs (B, 1-0) and Cameron Ondresky
LP – Phillip Earls (H) and Chas Bartehett
2B: Cameron Ondresky (B), Harris (B), Zach Edquist (B), Trent Clauser (H)
HR: Dominique Pompey (B)
Records
Brandywine 13-0
Hartford 5-4