Blue Jays settle down to dump Leopold 5-1

~ Leopold had some scoring chances but couldn't capitalize Wednesday.

LEOPOLD -- Oak Ridge pitcher Ethan Sachs got off to a rocky start against Leopold on Wednesday.

He walked the first two batters of the game and allowed four of the first five hitters to reach base.

It was not the type of first inning he had envisioned, especially since he was coming off his worst outing this spring, against Saxony Lutheran when he gave up nine runs in the third inning alone Saturday.

But the senior was able to pitch his way out of the first-inning jam by allowing just one run.

Oak Ridge baserunner Jacob Light scores a run before the tag of Leopold catcher Wade Wiseman during the second inning Wednesday. (Elizabeth Dodd)

Sachs settled in nicely, tossing 5-plus innings and giving up just the one run on six hits while striking out six batters. Oak Ridge won 5-1.

"I tend to forget the past and move on because if you keep stuff in your head, it just drags you down even more," Sachs said about Saturday's performance. "I came out today and I struggled a little bit in the beginning because I wasn't used to the high mound. I had to adjust my pitching slide a little bit. I got used to it in the third inning. Once I started to get used to it in the third and fourth innings, I felt like I was throwing a little bit harder."

Oak Ridge (7-3) and Leopold are both in Class 1 District 3. The Blue Jays now have beaten Leopold twice in the past week. They also beat district foe South Iron 7-6 on Monday.

"I'm really proud of the way the guys rebounded [after losing to Saxony]," Oak Ridge coach Jason Niswonger said. "We're not as bad as Saxony routinely makes us look, but like I said back then, this is a much more important game. Not to take anything away from Saxony, but this is a district game. This is a conference game. This is everything to us."

Niswonger also liked the way Sachs rebounded. Sachs improved to 4-1 on the mound. He was taken out in the sixth with a 5-1 lead and after the first two batters reached. Niswonger replaced him then because Sachs had reached his 95 pitch limit.

Oak Ridge players cheer on their batter against Leopold during the third inning Wednesday at Leopold.

"He made some adjustments and was hitting his spots and he was just overpowering people with his fastball," catcher Brett Thomas said about Sachs.

The Leopold pitchers never really found their groove. Starter Darren VanGennip allowed a run in each of the first two innings and didn't return for the third.

"We've played seven or eight games in about 11 or 12 days and our shoulders, elbows are real sore right now," Leopold coach Shawn Kinder said "[VanGennip] wanted to come out. It [his arm] was hurting pretty bad."

Dustin Thiele relieved VanGennip and was unable to record an out. He walked two batters and hit one while another Oak Ridge hitter reached on an error. Thiele quickly was replaced by John Bohnsack. The Blue Jays were able to push across two runs in the third to increase their lead to 4-1.

Leopold had some chances to get back in the game, including in the sixth when Sachs allowed the first two Leopold batters to reach and then reliever Stephen Wright came in and walked the first batter he faced to load the bases with no outs.

"I definitely didn't want to walk anybody and I tried to keep my pitches to a minimum because I'm going to be starting on Friday," Wright said. "So I just wanted to throw strikes and try to get the hitters out. I really don't walk a lot, so [walking the first batter] didn't really put a lot of pressure on me. I knew I probably wouldn't walk the next batter. I needed to start throwing more pitches, though -- some curveballs, changeups and stuff to throw off their timing."

Wright did just that to get out of the jam without allowing a run. He retired Leopold's 2, 3 and 4 hitters in the lineup on a shallow fly to center, a pop up to the shortstop and a ground out to the shortstop.

"We just never got that big hit when we needed it," Kinder said. "What better situation to be in with the bases loaded and no outs and our 2, 3 and 4 hitters up?"

Thomas went 2-for-4, including stroking a long RBI triple in the first that scored Wright from first base.

"Stephen Wright was not going to score if I didn't hit it to planet Mars," Thomas joked.

Wright responded to Thomas' remark about his subpar speed on the basepaths by saying: "I'm slow, I guess."

Oak Ridge 112 010 0 -- 5 6 2

Leopold 100 000 0 -- 1 7 1

WP -- Ethan Sachs, 4-1. LP -- Darren VanGennip. 3B -- Brett Thomas (OR). 2B -- Stephen Wright (OR). Multiple hits -- Leopold: Dustin Thiele 2-4, Clayton Stoverink 2-4. Oak Ridge -- Brett Thomas 2-4, Records -- Oak Ridge 7-3.