Saxony Lutheran wasted little time seizing control on April 7, riding an explosive start to an 8-4 victory over St. Vincent at Veterans Memorial Field in Perryville.
The Crusaders scored 3 runs in the first inning and added 2 more in the second before breaking the game open with a 3-run fourth, building an 8-2 advantage that proved too much for the Indians to overcome.
Saxony Lutheran finished with 8 runs on 9 hits, with much of the damage coming from the top of the lineup. Zach Roth led the way with a standout performance, collecting 3 hits, including 2 doubles and a home run, while driving in 3 runs.
“Zach Roth had a real nice day,” Saxony coach Paul Sander said. “Two doubles and a home run … he’s a tremendous hitter, and today he had a really good day.”
Eli Rademann added 2 hits and scored twice, while Kai McDowell also crossed the plate 2 times. James Hope contributed a hit and 2 RBI, and Walker Short added a hit and an RBI as Saxony Lutheran capitalized on early scoring opportunities.
Sander pointed to a key situational play in the opening inning that helped set the tone.
“When we got the safety squeeze bunt down early … that was a very important part of the game,” he said.
While the Crusaders’ offense cooled in the later innings, their early production was enough, especially with a strong defensive effort backing it up.
“I thought today we played the best defensive game we played all year,” Sander said. “St. Vincent put the ball in play hard, and we made some really nice plays.”
On the mound, James Hope set the tone, allowing just 1 hit over 5 innings while striking out 4. Layton Hoehne closed things out, giving up 1 run over the final 2 innings while continuing to gain valuable varsity experience.
St. Vincent, meanwhile, battled throughout after falling behind early. The Indians scored 2 runs in the fourth inning and added 2 more late, but couldn’t fully recover from the early deficit.
Trenten Welker paced St. Vincent with a double and 2 RBI, while Gavin Hotop added a hit and drove in a run. Gus Unterreiner contributed 2 hits and an RBI, and Andrew Schumer and Cain Clifton each added a hit in the loss.
St. Vincent coach Corey Sauer said Saxony’s aggressive approach at the plate set the tone from the outset. “We knew Saxony was going to be a good ball club,” Sauer said. “They can swing the bats, and they proved it right off the bat in the first inning.”
Despite trailing 8-2, the Indians continued to compete and put together quality atbats down the stretch.
“We could have laid down and died at 8-2,” Sauer said. “But we came back with a couple more and hit some balls hard. We just got unlucky and hit it right at them.”
Levi Schilling was a bright spot on the mound for St. Vincent, retiring all 9 batters he faced in relief over 3 scoreless innings.
“Levi Schilling did a hell of a job,” Sauer said. “He went nine up, nine down.”
Cain Clifton took the loss after allowing 5 runs on 7 hits over 3 innings. Quinton Whistler also saw action, surrendering 3 runs in 1 inning of work.
Saxony Lutheran improved to 5-1 with the win, while St. Vincent dropped to 3-4 heading into conference play.
“They’re a fundamentally sound team,” Sauer said of the Crusaders. “Their record is what it is for a reason.”
Even in defeat, Sauer remained encouraged by his team’s effort and outlook moving forward.
“Overall, the pitching was pretty good,” he said. “We’re in a good spot. We’ll be fine.”
