By Chris Check
Regional Scout

BEREA, OHIO - The St. Edward and St. Ignatius baseball teams played the first of two traditional rivalry games yesterday under beautiful skies and warm weather. 

As usual, the teams didn’t disappoint as the Wildcats of St. Ignatius came from behind to defeat the Eagles of St. Edward, 6-4.  Wildcat senior lefty squared off against Eagle junior right-hander Jon Laird on the mound. 

St. Edward got on the board first in the bottom of the second inning as sophomore infielder Mason DeAnna knocked in senior DH Adam Madius (walk) and senior catcher Chris Raisanen (single).

St. Edward added runs in the third and fourth innings that pushed the lead to 4-0 and could have been more had it not been for the strong arm of Wildcat junior left fielder Nick Fabian. 

Senior Heidelberg recruit Cory Jacobs drove in unsigned senior Kyle Wasil, who singled and stole second to start the inning. Madias followed with a single and he and Jacobs combined for a double steal to put runners on second and third with no outs.  Senior catcher Chris Raisanen then lifted a fly ball to medium deep left field, Fabian positioned himself well as he caught and threw a strike towards home that was cut by senior third baseman Cole Nieto, who turned and quickly threw to sophomore catcher Alex Panstares just in time to tag the sliding Jacobs.  Junior right fielder Nick Longo then made a diving catch on flair down the line to end the inning.

The Eagles threatened with a big inning again in the fourth after singles by sophomore outfielder Darien Knowles and junior shortstop Will Devito singled.  Knowles scored on a passed ball then Wasil singled to left as Fabian came up throwing a sharp strike to home gunning down Devito trying to score from second base.

St. Ignatius finally came around on offense with  a single run in the top of the fifth on an RBI single by senior second baseman and Illinois recruit Dan Rowbottom, which scored Nieto who singled to lead off the inning. 

The Wildcats came right back in the sixth as Fabian singled and Longo doubled chasing Laird, who left the game with no out and a 4-1 lead. But, he was still responsible for the runners on second and third.

Nieto greeted the reliever with a single driving in both runs.  Sam Fuller later pinch ran for Nieto, stole second, and scored after a throwing error on an infield single. Rowbottom followed with a deep sacrifice fly into the wind in right to score junior pinch runner Quillen Austria with the go ahead run. 

The Wildcats scored an insurance run in the top of the seventh after senior righty Kyle Pluta threw a scoreless bottom of the sixth.  Junior MJ Nara came in to get the save in the bottom of the seventh inning for the Wildcats.

Rowbottom and Nieto led the Wildcats offensively each with two hits and two RBI while seniors Wasil and Jacobs led the eagles with two hits apiece.

These two teams will square off again at Baldwin-Wallace May 11.

To view scouting notes from games across Ohio, please visit the Ohio High School Scouting Blog. The blog gets updated throughout the week. 

To discuss this game, please visit our partner JJHuddle.