Evan Hoffer of North Union hurls a pitch toward the plate during a Central Buckeye Conference game against Urbana on Wednesday. Hoffer tallied six strikeouts during NU’s 4-3 win. (Journal-Tribune photo by Sam Dillon)
Wins have come at a premium for the young and developing North Union baseball team this spring.
Wednesday’s game against Urbana was one of those rare occasions the Wildcats got to celebrate a victory.
The win came during NU’s second contest in a two-game series against Urbana. The Hill Climbers toppled the Cats 10-7 on Monday, but NU answered with a 4-3 victory on Wednesday.
The win is only the second of the season for North Union, but head coach Klarke Ransome said he and his players are going to savor it as a mark of improvement.
“We always want a win, but we talk about doing the little things right and continuing to improve,” he said. “I think the group will be playing its best baseball at the end of the year.
“I think this is a group that is going to have a lot of learning experiences along the way, but we are going to enjoy this victory.”
Evan Hoffer started on the mound for the Cats and found himself in early trouble.
Urbana worked a single around to third base.
However, a timely strikeout for the third out of the inning kept the scoreboard blank.
The pitching battle began with Urbana’s Will Donahoe on the rubber.
He NU down in order during the first.
Hoffer answered by only needing to see three Hill Climber hitters to get out of the second inning.
Donahoe matched Hoffer by sitting down the Cats’ four, five and six hitters to keep the score at 0-0 through two innings.
Urbana got on the scoreboard in the third.
Hoffer hit the lead-off hitter. He answered with a stikeout, but the Hill Climbers’ runner took second base.
A single in left field moved Urbana to third and a passed ball gave the Hill Climbers a 1-0 lead.
Hoffer got out of the inning by notching his third strikeout of the game.
It took the Wildcats an inning, but NU was able to find some success at the plate in the bottom of the fourth.
Aaron Krebehenne hit a lead-off single and stole second base.
Hoffer laid a bunt down the third base line.
Urbana threw over to first, but a mishandled ball led to a safe call.
Krebehnne took off for home to tie the game at 1-1.
Hoffer took off during all of the confusion, but was tagged at second on a close call. The Wildcats stole seven bases in total.
Ransome said the effort during the game was why NU came out on top.
“The game Monday (at Urbana), we weren’t good at all,” he said. “Not just in the field, but our energy and effort was really bad.
“We talked about it and (Tuesday) against Kenton Ridge, it showed and that energy and effort carried over into today.”
The fifth inning was a struggle for NU’s junior pitcher.
Hoffer tallied his sixth strikeout, but the ball got away from catcher Landon Converse.
That allowed Urbana’s batter to safely reach first base.
After advancing to second base, the Hill Climbers got a line drive to left field. Krebehenne came up firing to get a tag at third base for the first out.
A flyout to center field gave NU its second out with an Urbana runner at second.
The Hill Climbers, though, found lightning at the plate and stung Hoffer for back-to-back RBI hits to give them a 3-1 lead.
NU answered in the bottom of the fifth.
Urbana brought Jaden Hopkins to the mound.
He walked the first two Wildcats he faced before the Hill Climbers summoned Jonathan Hildebrand in relief.
NU took advantage of early gifts by moving runners to second and third on Richie Bolander’s sacrifice bunt.
Ransome tried a bunt squeeze to score a run.
Nolan Draper, however, was tagged out at home, leaving two NU runners on base. Krebehenne loaded the bags with a walk, bringing Hoffer at the plate.
The Wildcats found a little lady luck when Hoffer belted a deep fly ball to right field. With a stiff breeze blowing in from center field, the ball hung in the air.
The Hill Climbers’ right fielder misjudged the ball and dropped the pop fly.
That allowed NU too pick up three runs and take a 4-3 edge.
Ransome said his team has been trying to play the game right and catch some breaks when it can do so.
“We were lucky enough to catch a break in the end, but good things happen to good people,” he said. “If we are doing the right things, playing hard and respecting the game, good things are going to happen.”
Armed with the lead Ransome called on Mason Bright to take over the mound in the sixth.
Bright kept the Hill Climbers in check, thanks to solid defense that led to the save.
The Wildcats, 2-7, will host Jonathan Alder on Friday.
Urbana 001 020 0 3 7 3
NU 000 130 x 4 3 0
WP- Hoffer
LP- Hildebrand
S- Bright