Valley Sports ReportATHENS — Athens scored seven runs in the bottom of the fifth inning to walk-off with a 14-4 five-inning win over defending division champion Troy in its season-opener here Monday afternoon in NTL Large School baseball action.
"Absolutely a great start to the season," said Athens coach Charlie Havens. "The guys were really pumped after the game. We need that excitement to carry over with another tough one tomorrow at Wellsboro
"The bottom of our order really carried us tonight," noted Havens. "We got two hits each from (Eli) Hobday, (Dylan) Saxon, and (Brady) Flynn Those guys started all the rallies today.
"Nick (Grazul) was excellent on the mound," he added. "Troy hitters are so difficult to get the ball past, so it’s going to get that pitch count up. He’s such a competitor, he battled all night."
The Wildcats took a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the first inning, but the Trojans answered with a run in the top of the second inning to tie the game at 1-1.
Athens opened up a 5-1 lead with four runs in the bottom of the second inning. Junior Eli Hobday and sophomore Brady Flynn led off the rally with back-to-back singles, and senior Dylan Saxon lined an RBI single into left field to give the Wildcats a 2-1 lead.
After a Troy error extended the lead to 3-1, junior Nick Grazul grounded an RBI single to left field to make it 4-1. Another error capped rally.
The Trojans scored a pair of unearned runs in the top of the third inning to close the gap to 5-3, but Dylan Saxon's RBI double made it 6-3 in the home half of the frame, and an unearned run stretched the lead to 7-3.
Troy scored a run in the top of the fourth inning to make it 7-4, but left the bases loaded.
Hobday and Flynn singled to lead off the bottom of the fourth inning. After Saxon was hit by a pitch, junior Karson Sipley walked force home a run, and junior Nick Grazul lined an RBI single to make it 9-4.
After a force out at home for the first out of the inning, sophomore Connor Davidson ripped a two-run line-drive double to left field to push the lead to 11-4.
Senior Troy Rosenbloom and sophomore Kam Wheeler each scored on wild pitches to make it 13-4, and sophomore Brendan Cooke sprinted home on a passed ball to end the game.
Dylan Saxon doubled and singled, scored two runs, and drove in two runs, and Grazul singled twice, scored two runs, and knocked in two runs to pace Athens' 10-hit attack, while Hobday singled twice, stole two bases, and scored three runs, and Flynn singled twice and scored two runs.
Davidson doubled, scored one run, and had three RBI, while Sipley scored two runs and had two RBI, Cooke singled and scored one run, and Rosenbloom scored one run.
Grazul earned the win, allowing four runs — two earned — on five hits, while striking out six and walking two in 4 2/3 innings. Sophomore Duncan Theta allowed one hit and one walk in one-third of an inning of relief.
Athens travels to Wellsboro Tuesday.
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IN PHOTO 1: Athens senior Troy Rosenbloom. IN TOP PHOTO: Athens junior Nick Grazul. ... PHOTOS BY MATT PATTON.
