By Nicholas Huenefeld

Special to the Sentinel-Tribune

PEMBERVILLE — The Eastwood baseball team made some key plays at big moments on Friday to stay undefeated with a 10-0 victory at home over Bellevue in five innings.

“Our guys came and made some really big pitches in those tough moments,” Eastwood coach Kevin Leady said. “It could have went either way. This game could have been a lot tighter. It shows toughness in our guys.”

In a game that was much closer than the final score indicated, the Eagles swung the game in their favor with a big fourth inning – both on defense and behind the plate.

Clinging to a 1-0 lead thanks to an Andrew Badenhop sacrifice fly in the first inning, Eastwood saw Bellevue load the bases with one out in the top half of the fourth.

Starting pitcher Kadyn Donnell, however, induced Grant Woodruff into a line drive back to the mound before turning and completing the double play at third to keep his team ahead.

“I love our guys that play multiple sports,” Leady said. “Under the lights, it’s pretty big. They’ve been in these situations so when they get to me, this situation isn’t as big as it could be.

“That was our quarterback today. He’s played some really big football games, he got to play in some really big basketball games. He’s played in some big baseball games last year, so the experience he’s gained in everything is just huge.”

In the home half, Eastwood had two runners reach on errors, setting up an RBI single from Xander Greulich that doubled the lead. A walk then loaded the bases for Brock Messinger, who attempted to lay down a squeeze bunt, but it turned into a base hit and a 3-0 lead.

Colton Woodward, who singled and stole second to set up Badenhop’s sacrifice fly earlier in the game, then roped an RBI single to left.

One out later, Eastwood again took advantage of another Bellevue defensive miscue as Badenhop’s infield pop fly to second base landed safely, which scored two more runs. Drew Kachmarik tacked on an RBI single to left in the next at bat as the Eagles led 8-0 through four.

“Their pitcher really battled, tried to keep us off balance early on,” Eastwood head coach Kevin Leady said. “I don’t think we got the swings that I felt we should have. We talk to the guys all the time about staying with the approach, staying who we are and eventually we’ll break through. Those last innings, we hit some balls pretty hard.”

Bellevue loaded the bases once again in the fifth, this time with two outs, which saw Bryce Miller enter in relief. The senior righty induced a grounder back to the mound on a 2-1 pitch to end the threat.

Eastwood put the game away in the home half. Greulich led off by reaching on an error, and Miller followed with a single. Another bunt turned base hit, coincidentally once again from Messinger, loaded the bases with nobody out.

Woodward delivered his team’s ninth run after being hit by the pitch, and Brandon Falls walked it off with a sacrifice fly.

Donnell struck out five despite allowing four hits and six walks over 4.2 innings to pick up the win. The junior came through in big moments, picking up a strikeout with two on to end the first and inducing a double play with the bases loaded in the fourth.

“The thing I’m most proud of though is our pitcher went out there and gave us everything he had. He made some big pitches in those tough moments, and being this early in the year, you’re really proud of that.”

Woodward, Greulich and Messinger each tallied multi-hit efforts for Eastwood, highlighted by a 2-for-2, two run, two RBI performance from Woodward that also included a walk, a stolen base and a hit by pitch. Greulich went 2-for-3 with two runs and an RBI while Messinger finished 2-for-3 with a run and an RBI.

Eastwood (4-0) continued its scoreless streak as a pitching staff to open the season as the Eagles are outscoring their opponents 39-0 over 25 innings.

“Coming back this year, I knew one of our strengths would be our pitching staff,” Leady said. “There’s guys who returned a lot of wins and a lot of innings on the mound. Our guys have been in these situations.”

For Woodward, it’s a mentality.

“When we walk out of the locker room, our record is 0-0.”