With the cold early spring winds keeping the memory of winter alive, the Washington Blue Lion varsity baseball team welcomed the Jackson Ironmen for a Frontier Athletic Conference game Monday afternoon.
The Blue Lions held off a late surge from Jackson to post a 6-5 win.
Washington is now 3-1 overall, 2-0 in the FAC.
Kenny Arboldea started and was the winning pitcher for Washington. He pitched six innings allowing five hits and two runs (both earned). He struck out four and walked four.
Austin Joseph pitched two-thirds of an inning with three hits and three earned runs allowed with three walks.
Grant Patterson came in and got the save with one-third of an inning pitched.
Lewiis started and pitched 3.1 innings with six hits and five runs (all earned), three strikeouts and six walks.
Another (unnamed) pitcher threw 2.2 innings for Jackson, suffering the loss. He gave up one unearned run on two hits with three strikeouts and two walks.
Both teams had eight hits. Washington had two errors and Jackson committed three errors.
Arboleda was the leading hitter for Washington, going 2 for 4.
“Kenny threw six great innings,” Washington head coach Mark Schwartz said. “He did his job. He threw strikes early He struggled a bit in the third inning, but kept battling. We had a couple of errors in that inning that cost us. He battled the elements and did a good job. I’m very proud of him.”
The Blue Lions scored in every inning except the fifth.
In the bottom of the first, Eli Ruth walked, stole second, advanced to third on a wild pitch and scored on a single by Arboleda.
In the second inning, with one out, Jarred Hall hit a double to right-center field.
He moved to third on a wild pitch and, after Eli Lynch was hit by a pitch and stole second, Hall scored on a squeeze bunt by George Reno.
After Jackson tied the game with two runs in the top of the third, Washington quickly went back into the lead with a run in the bottom of the third.
Tyler Rood led off with a walk. He advanced to second when a pick-off throw to first eluded the first baseman.
After a walk to Nick Barrett, Austinn Fore drove in Rood with a double.
In the fourth inning for Washington, Reno led off with a walk. He stole second and Ruth followed with a walk.
The runners moved up on an error and both scored on a single by Rood.
In the fifth for the Blue Lions, Hall walked and stole second. An attempted pick-off play at second saw the ball instead go into the outfield for an error, allowing Hall to move to third.
Ruth followed with a single to right-center to make it 6-2.
Washington is back in action at home Wednesday against the McClain Tigers.
In other FAC action Monday, Miami Trace beat Hillsboro, 6-4 and Chillicothe topped McClain, 13-3.
Offensively for Washington: George Reno, 1-3, 1 run, 1 rbi, 1 bb, 2 sb; Eli Ruth, 1-2, 2 runs, 1 rbi, 2 bb, 1 sb; Tyler Rood, 1-2, 1 run, 2 rbi, 2 bb; Kenny Arboleda, 2-4, 1 rbi, 1 sb; Nick Barrett, 1-2, 2 bb; Austinn Fore, 1-4, 1 rbi, 1 2b; Ryan Schwartz, 0-4; Jarred Hall, 1-2, 2 runs, 1 bb, 1 2b, 2 sb; Eli Lynch, 0-2, hbp.
Offensively for Jackson: Haller, 1-2, 1 run, 2 bb; Graham, 1-4, 2 runs; Neal, 1-2, 1 run, 1 rbi, 2 bb; Lewis, 1-4, 1 sb; Massie 1-4, 1 run, 1 rbi; Rucker, 1-4, 1 rbi; Graham, 0-1, 3 bb; Blackburn, 1-3, 1 rbi, hbp; Moore, 1-4.
RHE
J 002 000 3 — 5 8 3
W 111 210 x — 6 8 2
