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By: Dan Machovina
PBR Ohio Assistant Scouting Director

We look to bring the Buckeye state top-notch high school coverage throughout the entire state.

We will have the 2016 Scout Blog, Spotlight Games, Inside the Recruitment Articles, Unsigned Senior Spotlights, The Recruiting Trail, All-State Selections, Full Coverage of the OHSAA State Tournament as well as numerous other articles throughout the spring.

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To view the full list of 2016 Team Previews that we have already completed, please click here.

For insider information and scouting notes from the PBR staff during the 2016 spring season visit the 2016 Ohio Scout Blog by clicking here.

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Ohio Spotlight Games: #36 St. Ignatius vs Avon

In a hard fought battle all the way to the end between two division I opponents, it was Avon (15-7) coming up with a three-run, seventh inning comeback to top St. Ignatius (14-9) by a final score of 5-4.

The game was a 7:00 start at the Pipeyard Stadium in Lorain, with the fans seeing the lights turned on in the fourth inning. It had the feel of a playoff-like atmosphere. The game featured a little bit of everything, strikeouts, pitching, defense, hits, errors, you name it and it felt like it happened in this battle.

Avon used five pitchers to try to keep the Ignatius offense off-balance. St. Ignatius countered with two pitchers.

The Wildcat’s starter was junior left-handed pitcher Connor Adams (Louisville Commit). Adams went six innings, he yielded five hits, walked one, struck out nine, and allowed two earned runs.

The Avon Eagles were the first to strike in their bottom half of the second.

With two outs Avon got back to back singles from junior third baseman Taylor Reynolds and junior left fielder Stephen Ciarniello. The big blow in the inning came with a two out, two RBI double over the left fielder’s head off the bat of junior first baseman Shane Docherty.

Throughout the game St. Ignatius kept looking for that timely hit with runners on base, as they stranded nine baserunners in the first five innings.

Iggy finally got what they had been looking for in the top half of the sixth inning. 

The Wildcats would score two runs early in the inning by way of three walks and a bunt single. The big hit that St. Ignatius had needed throughout the game came from senior third baseman Dennis Grosel, when he hit a single up the middle that gave him two RBIs, and St. Ignatius a 4-2 lead after six and a half innings.

Then came the craziness of what was the bottom of the seventh inning.

The inning actually started with a strikeout, but the pitch was in the dirt and got far enough away from the Wildcat’s catcher. A single and a stolen base from Docherty would be followed by back to back walks to load the bases.

Senior catcher Parker Reynolds comes to the plate with bases loaded and one out...

Reynolds tops a sharp, late breaking curveball from senior left-handed pitcher, St. Ignatius closer Michael Rogers to the second baseman who has to field a short hop-ground ball with a lot of backspin.

The Wildcat second baseman bobbles the ball and on an off-balanced throw attempt, throws the ball past the first baseman, which allows the first run to score. The backup fielder then tossed the ball over the catcher’s head, attempting to throw out the following Avon baserunner, which finally allowed the third and winning run to cross the plate.