CHAGRIN FALLS — The Hawken baseball team did its damage early and made it stand.
The Hawks scored five runs in the first two innings and held off a late push from Chagrin Falls to secure a 6-3 win in a Chagrin Valley Conference crossover on Friday.
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“Getting ahead in high school baseball is a huge part of the game,” said Hawken head coach Aaron Brandt. “Getting those three runs in the first was big. I know they were throwing a young pitcher who settled in after that, so to get those early was great, and then obviously tack on a few more later was huge.”
Hawken (7-3) wasted no time taking control. Eli Mester delivered a two-run single in the opening inning, and Ethan Gipson followed with an RBI single to center to give the Hawks a 3-0 lead after one.
The advantage grew in the second. Graham Shaheen worked a bases-loaded walk, and Rees Mitchell added a sacrifice fly to bring home Mester, stretching the lead to 5-0.
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Chagrin Falls responded behind Ash Martin, who accounted for much of the Tigers’ offense. Martin ripped an RBI single to center to score Henry Cimperman and get the Tigers on the board.
The Tigers later manufactured another run when Martin stole home on a play that included a throwing error, cutting the deficit to 5-2 heading into the late innings.
“It was good that we battled back. We don’t want to see ourselves go 1-2-3 and call it a day,” said Chagrin Falls head coach Michael Sweeney. “So the fact that we competed and got a couple of guys in scoring position was good to see. We just need to hit more. It’s a struggle right now getting guys to hit, especially towards the bottom of the order consistently. If we can get healthy, it could be a productive lineup.”
Hawken added an insurance run when Tanner Brandt reached on a play that included a defensive error, allowing Cole Twardokus to score and extend the lead to 6-2.
Chagrin Falls had one more push in the seventh. Martin delivered again with an RBI single, and the Tigers brought the tying run to the plate before Hawken shut the door.
Despite the six-run output, Brandt believes his lineup is still trending upward.
“I think these two guys will tell you that we’re ready to break out,” Brandt said. “We had a couple of really good offensive performances against Lutheran West, and it felt like we were breaking out a little bit. Today was a little less of that, but we were productive, so I was very happy with what happened.”
Top Players
- Eli Mester, Hawken: 2-for-4, 2 RBI, 2 runs
- Cole Twardokus, Hawken: 1-for-1, 3 runs, 2 walks
- Ash Martin, Chagrin Falls: 2-for-4, 2 RBI
- Ethan Gipson, Hawken: 1-for-3, RBI
Pitching
Tanner Brandt earned the win with a complete game for Hawken, allowing three runs on three hits with three walks and seven strikeouts.
Jackson Raleigh took the loss for Chagrin Falls, throwing four innings and allowing five runs on six hits with three walks and one strikeout. Robbie Quinn added 1 1/3 innings of relief with two strikeouts and two walks, and Rice Johnson allowed one unearned run with a walk and a strikeout.
What It Means
For Chagrin Falls (6-6), the margin for error remains slim as the Tigers continue to work through a young lineup.
“I mean, we just don’t have a lot of room for error,” Sweeney said. “Whether it’s a pitcher walking a guy or we make one error, it just seems that one mistake every single time kind of leads to a run or two, and then we lose. We’ve had three one-run losses. We just don’t have a lot of margin for error, and until we start hitting the ball consistently, that’s going to remain that way.”
What’s Next
Chagrin Falls hosts Wickliffe on April 20, while Hawken travels to Orange the same day.
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