Cedarville Sweeps Doubleheader

The Cedarville baseball team won both games of a doubleheader against Oakland City on a very windy Saturday, April 2, 3-2 and 4-2.

Cedarville head coach Mike Manes said pitching was a big part of the team’s victories.

“Our starters went deep in the games and got ahead in the count,” Manes said. “When our starters can go deep in the game we can compete.”

Senior Garrett Baker got the win in the first game, pitching five-and-a-third innings. He had seven strikeouts while allowing one earned run. Senior Connor Hamilton came in as relief to finish the sixth, and senior Jordan Adams closed the game allowing one run.

The Jackets had just six hits in the first game. Three of those hits came from junior third baseman Drew Johnson. Johnson hit an RBI triple in the first, a single in the third, and a double in the fifth inning. Freshman second baseman Dan Llerena hit a solo home run in the second inning. Sophomore catcher Joey Chapman also added an RBI double in the third.

Sophomore Josh Kneeland started the second game. In six-and-a-third innings, he allowed just two hits and two earned runs and threw seven strikeouts. Hamilton came in as relief again and finished the game.

The Jackets had just four hits in the second game. Manes said the wind may have been the reason for his team’s low hit count.

“Once my little second baseman (Llerena) hit a home run in that first game, everybody was trying to hit the ball up in the air and see how far it would fly,” Manes said. “Whenever you try and do that, you’re going to get pop-ups and weak hit ground balls.”

The Jackets scored their first two runs in the second inning. Llerena hit a sacrifice fly to score one run. The next run came on a bad throw to third on a double steal by Chapman and sophomore Colton Potter. The throw went into the outfield and Chapman advanced to home easily.

The other two Jacket runs came in the third inning. With the bases loaded, Potter hit an RBI double that scored two runs.

The Jackets are now 6-16 and have won three straight games after going on a 13-game losing streak. Next weekend, the Jackets will look to get their first conference win as they travel to Alderson Broaddus to play two doubleheaders.

Josh Burris is a junior journalism major and multimedia person for Cedars. He is interested in sports broadcasting and reporting. He enjoys watching sports, lifting, and listening to rock and rap music.