Cards win key Region 2 game

By Pete Chiodo

May 13, 2008 May 12, 2008 11:53 pm

— COCHRANTON — District 10 is planning on a four-team bracket for the Class A baseball playoffs, which are scheduled to start on May 21. And on Monday, the Cochranton Cardinals made its case for one of those spots after beating Region 2 opponent Conneaut Lake, 7-2.
Actually, the Cards (12-4, 12-4 Region 2) have been stating their case for a playoff spot for the last month or so, winning eight straight games and 11 of their last 12.
“It was a total team effort (on Monday),” said Cochranton coach Don Check. “And that’s the way it’s been for the last 11 games. We started the season 1-3. And now we’re 12-4. And we hope to keep playing at least for the next couple weeks.”
With the loss, Conneaut Lake (11-4, 11-4 Region 2) was denied a share of the Region 2 title, which was sewed up by Linesville yesterday during the Lions’ 7-3 victory over Maplewood. The Lakers will now hope for a at-large bid into the Class AA playoffs.
“When you strand 12 runners, hit three batters, walk five and commit four errors; that’s going to spell trouble,” said Lake coach Randy Schlosser, listing what went wrong in the Indians’ failed title bid yesterday.
“We out-hit the other team. But their hits were timely. Ours weren’t.”
Cochranton didn’t even need a base hit in the second inning as the Cards took a 2-0 lead.
Zach Staudt hit into an error to lead off the inning. Then Mike Boughner and Cody Northcott were both hit by pitches to load the bases.
Joel Linton brought Boughner in with a sacrifice bunt up the first base line. And Northcott scored on a wild pitch.
Conneaut Lake would tie the game in the top of the fourth. R.J. Baker hit a one-out single through the right side. Then with two down, Matt Morian belted one to right field, scoring Baker. Jay Bemis brought Morian around to score with a single to center.
The tie didn’t last long, however. To start Cochranton’s half of the fourth, Northcott grunted a curve ball over the fence in center field. It was his second home run of the season.
“I had to get a little extra oomph to get it out,” said Northcott. “I’m pretty sure the count was 2-2. I was waiting on a curve ball and that’s what I got.”
Zac Culbertson followed Northcott’s dinger with a walk and eventually scored on a two-out single by Brad Peterson.
The Cards added three more runs in the fifth. Andy Boughner and Staudt led off the frame with back-to-back singles. An outfield error during Staudt’s hit allowed Andy Boughner to score.
Mike Boughner walked to put two on base. And Northcott had another big hit, rapping a single to center field, scoring both base runners.
“The bats came through at the right time,” said coach Check.
Northcott also pitched the Cardinals to the win. In six innings he allowed two runs on eight hits, walked five and struck out four.
“Cody pitched an excellent game,” said Check. “He was in control of all his pitches.”
Andy Boughner pitched a 1-2-3 seventh inning, netting two strikeouts.
“Andy came in and shut them down in the seventh inning,” said Northcott.
The seventh was the only inning in which Conneaut Lake did not strand a runner. The Indians left the bases loaded in the first two innings, and left runners on second and third in the third inning.