Switzerland pitchers limited Jac-Cen-Del to just five hits and Dalton Roark blasted a big three-run home run in the sixth inning as the Pacers won their baseball home opener 9-3 last Friday, April 7th.
Switzerland scored three runs in the bottom of the first and never looked back in what was also the Pacers’ Ohio River Valley Conference opener. But it wasn’t until Roark’s blast that the Swiss could breathe easy, content that the win was at hand.
Switzerland County wasted little time jumping on Jac-Cen-Del starter Logan Drockelman, scoring three times in their first at-bat of the game. But Drockelman and the Eagles didn’t help themselves much with a walk, a hit batter and two errors in the inning to go along with an Austin South double.
Those three runs were almost enough for Switzerland County starter Kyle Whitham who cruised through five innings before running up against the IHSAA’s new pitch count rule. Jac-Cen-Del touched Whitham for a run in the second and one more in the fifth, but managed only three hits against the Pacer right-hander.
The Pacers scored two more runs in the third on a Casper Stow double, a Whitham single and a passed ball and the two teams traded runs in the fifth leaving the Pacers leading 6-2.
Whitham went five-plus innings allowing three runs – one earned – on three hits with five strikeouts, one walk and two hit batters to get the win. He also scored twice and had an RBI at the plate.
South went 3-for-4 with a double and two runs and earned the save on the hill with two scoreless innings in relief where he gave up two hits and struck out two. Stow had a hit and scored twice while Cody Blanton and Nate Thomas added hits for the Pacers.
Switzerland County is at home tonight (Thursday) to play Shawe Memorial; and then hits the road to play Graceland Christian on Saturday and then at Madison on Monday.
-The Madison Courier