The Windham Bombers’ baseball team helped their standing in the Northeastern Athletic Conference Stripes Division by sweeping league rival Lordstown in a doubleheader, winning 15-0 and 17-1 in a pair of five-inning games last Wednesday evening in Warren.
“After Wednesday’s games, I feel that the kids have gained more confidence and confidence in the game of baseball or any other sport goes a long way,” said Coach Jake Eye. “So, it was a chance for us to improve upon our abilities, master our craft better and work on defensive things. I think we did that.”
After a slow start to the season plagued by defensive woes, the Bombers (5-6, 4-4) have been fueled by a strong offense which has scored five or more runs in their last seven games posting a 4-3 record in that stretch.
On Wednesday, Windham’s offense continued to roll, and its defense performed better, committing only one error across both games.
“It is baby steps,” noted the five-year coach. “It is growing together. As coaches, we have to be patient with them, we know what is going to happen, errors are going to happen. You just have to learn from them and work to get better.”
In the first game, the Bombers struck first to take a 3-0 lead in the top of the first inning on two hits and one walk.
After adding two runs in the second and third frames to increase the lead to 7-0, the Bombers erupted and scored seven runs in the top of the fourth inning as senior third baseman Jordan Ridenbaugh scored on a passed ball, followed by senior second baseman Gavin Kiser driving home two more runs after Lordstown sophomore shortstop Evan DeVault committed a fielding error on a ground ball, sophomore shortstop Bryan Smithberger worked a bases-loaded walk, sophomore right-hander Keegan Kiser delivered an infield two-run single to shortstop and Ridenbaugh brought home home two runs on a double to center field.
“Innings like that don’t come by very often and as the inning wore on, we were swinging the bats freely and we were going base to base,” added Eye. “In small-school baseball, big innings can happen to anybody, but no inning is a safe load.”
By mounting a 10-run lead after four innings, the Bombers triggered the mercy rule to end the game an inning early.
In the second game, after the Red Devils took a 1-0 lead in the top of the first inning, Windham scored 17 runs in the bottom of the inning on six hits, seven walks, including two bases-loaded walks.
According to Eye, since the Bombers built a giant lead after the first inning and daylight was running out, the teams agreed to end the game after the top half of the second inning as Lordstown could not respond, allowing Windham to complete the sweep.
Keegan pitched Windham to victory in both games, hurling a no-hitter across four innings while issuing only one walk and striking 10 batters out in the first game and returned in the second game to throw two more innings, allowing one run on two hits and one walk and striking out four batters.
“Keegan is our guy on the mound,” Eye said. “He has been up and down to start the season. He is a four-pitch pitcher, and he has had better command with his breaking stuff than he has with his fastball. On Wednesday, we felt like it was a chance for him to work on some things and dial-in some command of his fastball; he pitched well.”
As Windham turned in a cleaner defensive performance against its NAC foe in the double-header, Eye noted that his team has more optimism for the second half of their league schedule in the final few weeks of the season before the Ohio High School Athletic Association Division IV postseason begins, with its league record reaching .500 for the first time.
“We are right there,” he said. “I feel good about our team. I do know that we are young, but we are right there. We are a very solid team and we started off the year with the two best teams in the league, but we have competed since then. We are just a play or two away from leading in the NAC, so we just have to continue to work and get better.”
After a home double-header against NAC Stripes Division rival Chalker on Monday and a road duel against league rival Grand Valley on Thursday, the Bombers will travel to play Champion on Saturday afternoon in Warren at 1 p.m.
