The Ravenna Ravens’ baseball team may finally be hitting their stride. After a challenging start to the season, the Ravens secured their first winning streak when they erupted late to take down Niles McKinley 13-1 in six innings last Friday in Niles.
“Anytime you can win multiple games in a row is something that you can build into the next game,” said Coach Lee Lovejoy. “We have had some unfortunate big losses that we did not foresee early on after we played three really good ball games to start the year. When you come into a winning streak and make things happen as you should, it just gives those guys some confidence as well.”
Despite returning the entirety of their team from last year, the Ravens (3-8, 0-3) have been plagued by a slow start to the season, having lost seven of their first eight games. The third-year coach acknowledged that Ravenna had suffered from a little bit of everything, including hitting, fielding and pitching issues that contributed to a rough beginning to the season.
After enduring a stretch of three consecutive shutout losses, Ravenna has started to turn the corner with a decisive victory against the Red Dragons, marking a two-game stretch in which they have combined to score 22 runs.
“I think it is just the confidence in guys becoming contagious,” noted Lovejoy. “Landyn Godley is actually a Freshman. For us, he has been consistent since getting into the line-up. In the last week or so, he actually leads our team in hits. One of our big power guys, Logan Hysell, the last couple of games, he has really found his way with a couple of extra-base hits for us. I think all of that is going to be very good moving forward for us.”
On Friday, Ravenna snapped its scoreless drought by scoring a run in the first inning and added another run in the third. Despite finally scoring runs, the Ravens were still searching for that clutch hit and clung to a 2-0 lead in the top of the fifth.
After the first two batters reached base, senior right-hander James Evans drove in a run on a line drive to center field and sophomore Jonathan Barrell committed a fielding error on the play. The Red Dragons’ defensive miscue opened the door to a six-run fifth inning, including RBI-hits by junior shortstop Sean Jordan, Godley, and junior right fielder Rylan Eldredge to propel the Ravens to a commanding 8-0 advantage.
According to Lovejoy, after managing only two runs against senior righty Connor Duncan in the first four innings, Ravenna adjusted its approach in the fifth and the results paid dividends.
“We were able to make him work a little bit more and get pitches that were good for us,” he added. “That was when Logan started us off with a double and we had a hit-by-pitch. It just became a couple of singles in a row. We did that and did all of the right things. He kept us off balance for four innings, he did a good job on that but once we were able to lock in and sit back, I think everybody just clicked at the same time.”
The Red Dragons responded by scoring a run in the bottom of the fifth on a RBI-groundout to Jordan off the bat of senior right-hander Brighton Gilmour, trimming the Ravenna’s lead to 8-1, the Ravens roared back in the top of the sixth by scoring five more runs.
After junior right-hander Peter Jennings came on to toss a scoreless sixth inning of relief, the Ravens triggered the mercy rule by having a lead greater than 10 runs after five innings to end the game early.
Lovejoy said that the Ravens’ sixth inning was a testament to the leadership of the junior class.
“They wanted to make sure that they shut the door,” he said. “At that point it was 9-1 and that is the sign from the junior class we wanted to see. They have been through it and know we needed to shut the door here and that is what we did.”
Although it has not been the start that Ravenna hoped for, Lovejoy said that finally finding some offensive consistency in the last two games has been a welcome sign and that it holds a lot of promise for things to come in the second half of the season.
Following a road game against Metro Athletic Conference foe Akron Springfield on Tuesday and a home game against Norton on Thursday, the Ravens will hit the road and face Struthers at Bob Cene Park on Friday evening at 7 p.m.
