Baseball: Seneca tops Ottawa in season opener, 5-0

SENECA – The Ottawa and Seneca baseball teams opened the season Monday afternoon with the Fighting Irish using solid pitching performances from three pitchers along with an opportunistic offense to pick up a 5-0 victory over the Pirates.

Fighting Irish starting pitcher Austin Aldridge (4 IP, 1 H, 1 BB, 11 K) picked up the win. He combined with relievers Aidan Vilcek (2 IP, 0 H, 1 BB, 5 K) and Casey Clennon (1 IP, 0 H, 0 BB, 2 K) to keep Ottawa batters off-balance all game.

“Pitching is always going to be ahead of offense to start any season,” Seneca coach Tim Brungard said. “Guys can throw inside all winter, but it’s tough for guys to face live pitching, and then if they do it’s in a cage. That said, I thought our three guys that took the mound did an outstanding job, I mean 18 strikeouts and one hit, that’s an excellent start for us. They all had good command of the strike zone, hit their spots and did a good job of changing speeds.

“We were able to get a couple hits from Vilcek when we needed them, a couple of good bunts by Kenny (Daggett) and Nate (Othon) and a successful hit-and-run. I felt like for game No. 1 we played pretty solidly all the way around.”

Seneca grabbed the lead for good in the second inning as Vilcek doubled to left off of Ottawa starting pitcher Cam Loomis (3.1 IP, 3 H, 2 R, 1 ER, 4 BB, 7 K), stole third and scored on a throwing error. Loomis took the loss for the Pirates.

Seneca added a run in the fourth when Chase Buis walked, moved to third after a wild pitch and passed ball, then scored on a base hit to right by Vilcek.

The Irish finished the scoring in the fifth off of Pirates reliever Tate Wesbecker (2.1 IP, 2 H, 3 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 3 K), starting with Paxton Giertz and Daggett reaching on errors. Giertz eventually scored on a fielder’s choice and Daggett on a RBI single by Aldridge. Later Vilcek knocked in his second run of the game with a sacrifice fly.

Aldridge threw 51 of his 76 pitches for strikes and allowed just a third-inning double to Jace Veith, who also reached twice after being hit by a pitch.

“I was a little nervous at the start, but once I was able to get the first couple of pitches over the plate, I was fine,” Aldridge said. “I felt like all of my pitches were working well for me, especially my slider, but I still have to keep working on my change-up. Nate did a great job of calling pitches for me, mixing things up and just keeping me on track.”

Ottawa coach Tyler Wargo said the Pirates ran into a Fighting Irish team he expects to be very good this season.

“Their pitchers really attacked the strike zone, and we were a little hesitant at the plate, but really on defense as well,” Wargo said. “I don’t feel we were truly ready for the velocity of pitches or sometimes not really aware of what to do when the ball was hit to us. I thought Cam and Tate did a great job of competing on the mound.

“The first message to the guys after the game was this was just one of 35. Sometimes with baseball, and for us right now, there is no time to hang our heads because we have Metamora at our place (at 4:30 p.m. Tuesday). We just have to stick together, come to the ballpark tomorrow with Metamora on our minds and not Seneca. We are going to be in good shape.”

Seneca is scheduled to be back in action Wednesday at home against Gardner-South Wilmington.