STEUBENVILLE - Cadiz Post 34 manager Brandt Mazeroski and standout pitcher Josh Kernick had never experienced a victory in the opening round of the eighth-annual Carl "Dutch" Nordenger Memorial District 10 American Legion tournament.
That all changed Monday when Kernick put forth a gut-check effort as Cadiz (13-16) outscored Coshocton, 10-7, at Vaccaro Field.
Kernick didn't have his best stuff, but he got the job done. The righthander struck out just one and walked four. He scattered 10 hits and plunked four batters.
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INSURANCE RUN — Cadiz Post 34’s Chase Hopkins is greeted by teammate Josh Kernick (12) after scoring on a wild pitch during Post 34’s 10-7 win at Vaccaro Field Monday.
-- Fred Younce
"He's our work horse and has been for three years now," Mazeroski said. "In the last inning, I asked him how he was doing and he said, 'coach don't take me out unless you have to.'"
After his Post 34 teammates staked him to a 10-7 lead with three runs in the top of the eighth and one in the ninth, Kernick did the rest.
However, there were some nervous times as he hit the first batter in the bottom of the ninth. A groundout moved that runner to second, but a bouncer to D.J. Busby at short resulted in a fielder's choice as the runner was caught going to third. A flyout to center ended the game.
Tied at six after seven frames, Cadiz loaded the bases with no outs in the eighth. A weird fielder's choice resulted in the first out as Nick Patrone's blooper between the mound and the plate fell to the ground, but an alert Coshocton (17-22) third baseman, Vayden Wood, scooped up the ball and stepped on home plate for the force.
Spencer Badia drilled a 1-1 pitch back up the middle to plate two runs, and Rashaen Mitchell's groundout made it 9-6.
The Cherokees got one run back in the bottom of the eighth, but Chase Hopkins laced a triple to the gap in right-center leading off the ninth. He raced home after ball four to Nick Pelegreen got away from the catcher, making it 10-7.
"Never in my first two years have we won our first game of the tournament," said Mazeroski. "This feels really good, but I've been telling the kids all summer that when we hit the ball like we did today, and play good defense, we are that good of a team.
"When you get to the district, every team is good, but we are capable of surprising some people."
Post 34 recorded 16 hits and were led by leadoff-hitter Busby with four singles and an RBI. Pelegreen cracked three one-base knocks and drove in a run. Patrone, Badia, Mitchell and Hopkins all had a pair of safeties, with Badia and Mitchell evenly splitting four RBIs.
Kernick helped his own cause with a single and three runs scored.
Cadiz meets Steubenville today at 5 p.m. at Vaccaro Field. Post 33 defeated Richmond 6-2 in the nightcap Monday.
Cadiz 10, Coshocton 7
Cadiz 101 300 131 - 10 16 2
Coshocton 100 320 010 - 7 10 5
CADIZ: Kernick (WP, 1K, 4BB) and Patrone; Busby 4S, rbi; Patrone 2S, rbi; Badia S, T, 2rbi; Mitchell 2S, 2rbi; Hopkins S, T, rbi; Pelegreen 3S, rbi
COSHOCTON: Adams (LP,3K, 0BB), Johnson (8th, 1K, 1BB) and Shepler; Wood 2S, rbi; Adams 2S; Bowman 2D, rbi; Cantrell S, rbi; Shepler S, rbi; Johnson S, D
