by Michael Leonard
Sports Editor
Twinsburg -- Spend enough time around high school baseball coaches and they will say plenty about executing fundamental baseball and making the routine plays.
Twinsburg did both well April 22 at Dodge Field, and the result was a solid win.
The Tigers got contributions from all over their lineup in a 5-3 win over the Brush Arcs. The win completed a sweep of the opening Northeast Ohio Conference Lake Division series for the Tigers, as they also defeated Brush 3-2 in Lyndhurst April 21.
Twinsburg improved to 10-5 with the win, 2-0 in the NOC Lake Division.
Twinsburg used a little bit of small ball to jump start its offense in the first inning. Third baseman Omar Santiago led off with a single, and designated hitter Chuck Rice laid down a sacrifice bunt. After center fielder Doug Holmes walked, first baseman Justin Szydlowski banged a double to right center.
Twinsburg nearly made it 3-0 after a single by second baseman Rob Smaltz, but Szydlowski was gunned down at the plate to end the inning.
The top two slots in the Tigers' batting order performed their roles well. Santiago reached base in all three plate appearances with a single, a double and a hit batsman, while Rice laid down a pair of sacrifice bunts and a run-scoring single.
"That's O; he's done a great job for us in the lead-off spot, and Chuck Rice has helped by executing from the two hole," said Tigers head coach Don Jones. "Our run production has gone up because of what those two do."
While Twinsburg used the small-ball approach, all three of Brush's runs came via the long ball.
The first of these came from Brush pitcher Ryan Sanders, as he led off the second with a solo shot to left center.
"It's not really our fault that they got some good swings on the ball," Jones said. "Sanders got two good swings on two pitches that weren't that bad."
In fact, six of Brush's first nine outs came via fly balls as Jones said starter Patrick Havens was leaving his pitches up a bit.
When Brush shortstop Mike Perko led off the fourth inning with a solo home run to tie the game at 2-2, Jones lifted him in favor of Matt Wallin.
"We have three young men that can come in and give us a good chance to win," Jones said, referring to Wallin, Havens and Szydlowski, who won the first game against Brush.
Wallin rewarded his coach's move by retiring the first seven Arcs he faced. Wallin got the win in relief to improve to 2-2 on the year.
Meanwhile, Twinsburg's offense regained the lead in the fifth, thanks to the top the order.
With one out, Santiago hit a double to the gap in right-center field and Rice followed with a run-scoring single to left to give the Tigers a 3-2 lead.
Twinsburg got a pair of insurance runs in the bottom of the sixth.
With one out, Wallin hit a bloop single to center, followed by a single up the middle from Smaltz to move Wallin to third. After Smaltz stole second, Wallin came home on a wild pitch.
After catcher Matt Curwin reached on an error, pinch hitter Mike Dinkledein hit it wide of the shortstop.
Curwin was retired at second, but Dinkledein reached base before the relay throw, allowing Smaltz to score. Dinkledein drove in a run on a fielder's choice.
Brush made things interesting in the top of the seventh. First, Sanders smashed his second home run of the game with one out.
After a ground out, third baseman Jay Florian singled, and first baseman Richie Lucey walked.
However, with the tying runs aboard, Wallin got pinch hitter Kyle Kopolka to fly out to shortstop Mike Mencini to end the game.
Twinsburg is scheduled to play a rematch of the 2006 Division I state semifinal April 26 as Olentangy is set to visit Dodge Field for a doubleheader beginning at 11 a.m.
Twinsburg returns to Lake Division play at home against Nordonia April 28 and at Nordonia April 29. Game time both days is at 4:30 p.m.
E-mail: mleonard@recordpub.com
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