This afternoon, the baseball team improved to 2-0 in the PSAA with a 12-3 win over Evangel Christian, the reigning PSAA regular season and tournament champions.

Junior fireballer Joe Wozny wasted little time in finding a rhythm as he struck out the side in the top of the 1st on just 13 pitches. On the hill for the Eagles was Ricardo Ducasse whose mid-80s fastball led Evangel to an undefeated season a year ago, earning him the 2018 PSAA regular season and tournament MVP. The Bears quickly introduced themselves to one of the league’s premier pitchers.

Seamus Scanlon drew a walk and Wozny was hit by a pitch to put two runners on for T. J. Wachter. The big righty hit a sharp single to left field that scored Scanlon after an interference call on the third baseman. Wozny and Wachter both came in to score on passed balls to give the Brook a 3-0 lead before Aidan Mega singled to left. The pesky Mega then stole second, advanced to third on a wild pitch, and scored when a grounder by Emman Ajewole went through the legs of the third baseman. 4-0 Bears.

Wozny ran into some trouble to start the 2nd as a single followed a leadoff walk. He battled back with a strikeout, then catcher Tyler Smith gunned down Ducasse attempting to steal third before Wozny induced a groundout to his brother Timmy at first to keep the Eagles grounded. The Bears tacked on two more runs in the bottom half when Scanlon drew a one-out walk and Joe Wozny reached on an error by the third baseman. Scanlon scored on a wild pitch then Wozny came around when the right fielder allowed a Wachter pop up to drop as the Bears took a 6-0 lead.

In the 3rd, Wozny used just 10 pitches to strike out two and induce a groundout to Wachter at short. In the bottom half, Evangel sent a new pitcher to the mound as the Bears chased Ducasse after 63 pitches in 2.0 innings. After a leadoff strikeout, Dan Rueda, Scanlon, Wozny, and Wachter drew four straight walks to force home a 7-0 advantage. Scanlon then scored on a passed ball and Wozny and Wachter both came around on wild pitches as the lead swelled to 10-0.

Evangel opened the 4th with a leadoff single that put the batter on third after a two-base error. Wozny battled back with a run-scoring groundout sandwiched between two strikeouts as the Eagles chipped to within 10-1. The Bears were held off the board for the first time in the bottom of the inning.

In the top of the 5th, Wozny ended his day with an eight-pitch inning that sent the Eagles down in order: strikeout, groundout, fly out. The Bears also went down in order in the bottom half.

Evangel struck back for two runs in the top of the 6th, but the Bears got two in their turn at the plate. Mega and Malik Ulysse walks bookended an Ajewole single as the Brook loaded the bases with no outs. A Rueda walk forced in a run and a Joe Wozny ground out scored Ajewole to give the Brook a 12-3 edge. Mega nailed down the win in the top of the 7th with a 1-2-3 inning.

Wozny finished with 9 strikeouts, 2 hits, and 0 earned runs in 5.0 innings of work in his first outing of the season.

The Bears are back in action tomorrow afternoon in a home PSAA match-up with Martin Luther.

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