by Brent Hovey
Reporter
Aurora -- The big inning.
As a baseball team, you're continuously trying to avoid it in the field while trying to explode for it at the plate.
The big inning saved Aurora in two key Chagrin Valley Conference Chagrin Division games against Perry last week.
The Greenmen used a 4-run second inning to top the Pirates 4-2 on April 28 at home and an 8-run seventh inning the next day on the road in a 10-7 win.
The victories kept the Greenmen in first place in the CVC with a 4-1 record. They are 12-7 overall. Kenston, 13-2 overall, is 3-1 in the league, with its loss to Aurora.
The Greenmen's 10-7 come-from-behind win over Perry was their seventh straight. The team hadn't lost since a doubleheader sweep by Woodridge on April 19.
In the first game against Perry, the offense struggled, but managed to score 4 runs on 4 hits in the second inning. Two walks helped.
Rob Lajeunesse doubled and Ty Watson followed with a single that moved Lajeunesse to third. Watson took second on the throw.
T.J. Deininger grounded to the pitcher and Lajeunesse strolled too far from third and was picked off.
Adam Bellamy then grounded into another fielder's choice, with Watson retired at second. Ian Sanford walked to load the bases.
Nick Phillips' infield single scored Watson and a wild pitch scored Bellamy. After a Steven Yung walk, Andy Mitroff capped the rally with a 2-run single.
As the offense struggled with just 4 hits the next 4 innings, Joe Taylor took care of things on the mound. He didn't have his best stuff and struggled with his command, but was good when it mattered.
Taylor walked 8 batters and hit 2. But he threw a complete game, allowing just 2 runs on 3 hits and struck out 6, including 5 of the final six batters.
Taylor got into trouble in the second and third innings, but double plays saved him.
In the second, Perry had runners on first and third with one out. A line drive was caught by Lajeunesse at first base, and he stepped on the bag for the double play.
In the third, Perry loaded the bases with one out. Taylor got a come backer, went home for one out and Deininger relayed to first for the double play.
In the seventh, Perry threatened to tie or take the lead, loading the bases with 2 outs. Taylor walked in one run before striking out the final batter.
Second Perry contest
Game 2 against Perry was even more exciting. AHS led 2-1 until the fifth inning, when Perry scored 5 and added another in the sixth.
Leading 7-2, Perry appeared to be cruising. But Aurora responded with what could be called its best inning of the season.
The locals scored 8 runs on 6 straight hits by Mitroff, Taylor, Lajeunesse, Deininger, Bellamy and Sanford.
Mitroff and Taylor added hits later in the inning and Perry committed some errors, giving the Greenmen a 10-7 lead.
Aurora racked up 14 hits as Perry committed 6 errors.
AHS coach George Snider said the win streak is just a matter of the team finding its groove, players picking it up and others stepping up.
"It's just like we keep saying," said Snider. "We're a good hitting team and people like Bellamy and Sanford are coming on after slow starts.
"Phillips [a sophomore and the ninth man] is hitting .384 since replacing [Andy] Heacox, who was hitting .400. It can't always happen that way, but this year it has."
Heacox has been troubled all year with a hamstring injury.
"The rotation of Taylor, Watson, Sanford and Sanford closing is pretty solid," Snider continued. "Others like [Wes] Domeck, [Peter] Doyle and [Andrew] Wallace provide days off and weekend starts. [Brendan] Connolly is doing a real good defensive job in right field."
Aurora has picked the perfect time to come into its own. A light week this week found the locals playing CVC games against West Geauga on May 5 and 6.
But next week the schedule gets brutal. Aurora might end up playing seven games in five days. All are either tournament or league games that will have a bearing on the season.
Sectional tournament
The Division II Akron sectional/district drawing took place May 4. Aurora grabbed the sixth seed and will play a first-round home game against Streetsboro on May 15.
The top four seeds are Tallmadge, Walsh, Copley and Field, followed by Hoban. If Aurora beats Streetsboro, it will play May 16 at Field.
E-mail:
bhovey@recordpub.com
Phone: 330-688-0088 ext. 3115