“I think it’s going to be something we can build off of,” Maus said after visiting Fenwick topped the Rams 8-5 at Alumni Field. “It’s a good stepping-stone, but I’d like to think we’ve got bigger fish to fry than one game in the beginning of April.”
Jacob Forsythe scattered 11 hits in a 96-pitch performance for Fenwick, which began GCL play in the 2006-07 school year.
Jason Cash and Matt Davenport drove in two runs apiece as the Falcons improved to 3-0 overall and 2-0 in the GCL Coed North Division.
“It’s the team we wanted to beat,” said Forsythe, a senior right-hander. “We had one tough inning. Besides that, we played a hell of a game. With our coaches being from Badin, (assistant) Mark (Maus) was almost in tears after the game because he was so happy.”
That tough inning was the second, when the Rams scored four times to wipe out a 4-0 deficit. Badin had six hits in the inning, though the biggest play was a throwing error by Forsythe.
Fenwick kept going, though, and never trailed. Will Steinmetz had three of the Falcons’ 13 hits, 11 of which came in 3.2 innings against BHS starter Cameron Mohr.
“We were aggressive, and hopefully that’s going to be our hallmark,” said Pete Maus, a 1992 Badin graduate. “We’ve shown moments of it, but I think that’s the first time we’ve put together five, six, seven innings of it at the plate and on the mound.”
The Falcons put their leadoff batter on base in five innings, scoring in four of those frames. Andrew Nix, Logan Reardon and Matt Tunnacliffe each contributed two hits.
“They put it to us today,” Rams coach Brion Treadway said. “We need to clean up our defense and pitching ahead in the strike zone, keeping leadoff batters off base. That’s the key to baseball.”
Matt Kreke, Kade Carlyle, Reid Maus and Corey Reimer all had two hits for Badin, which is 3-3 overall and 2-1 in the GCLC Central. Holderbach plated two runs.
Forsythe said his arm felt fine toward the end of the game. “I’ve always been a guy that throws harder at the end,” he added.
“He’s told me since Day 1 that he can go a bunch of pitches, and I told him we would never get to that point,” Pete Maus said. “He got about far as he was going to go. If it wasn’t a three-run game, he probably would’ve been out in the seventh.”
Treadway is looking for somebody to step forward and be the ace for Badin. “The No. 1 spot in our rotation is wide open,” he said.
Both teams play today, Fenwick at home against Carroll and the Rams at McNicholas.
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