Baseball: L-P strikes early, but Hall comes away with nonconference win

SPRING VALLEY – The La Salle-Peru baseball team struck early, but Hall responded and was efficient throughout the game to come away with a 6-3 nonconference victory Wednesday on a drizzly, foggy day.

The Cavaliers led out of the gate as leadoff hitter Brady Romagnoli ripped a double down the right field line before scoring on a wild pitch.

Hall wasted little time responding as Mac Resetich put down a bunt single to start the bottom of the first and then immediately stole second base.

A few pitches later, Kyler Lapp ripped a double to right field that brought Resetich around to tie the game at 1.

“It’s nice to have a leadoff guy like Mac with his speed,” Hall coach Tom Keegan said. “He puts down a great bunt, and then everyone knows what he’s going to do once he gets on, and Kyler was able to hit the double and bring him in.”

Lapp scored on a delayed steal to give the Red Devils a 2-1 lead heading into the second inning.

After a scoreless second and top of the third for the Cavs, the Red Devils went back to work with the bats with Payton Dye cruising on the mound.

It’s nice to have a leadoff guy like Mac with his speed. He puts down a great bunt and then everyone knows what he’s going to do once he gets on.”

—  Hall coach Tom Keegan

Resetich again led off and this time reached as he was hit by a pitch. He quickly stole second again.

Lapp reached on an error at third, which allowed Resetich to score and make it 3-1 Hall.

Ashton Pecher walked and Joel Koch followed with a single past second base before stealing second as well.

Max Bryant collected an RBI groundout that scored Pecher and pushed the lead to 4-1.

Two batters later, Dom Galetti was facing an 0-2 count and drilled a two-run double down the left field line that scored Koch and Dye for a 6-1 Hall advantage.

“I didn’t think we pitched too bad tonight,” L-P coach Matt Glupcynski said. “I thought we did a good job of getting ahead of counts and limiting the amount of hits Hall had, but give Hall credit because they came up with clutch hits and their base running put the pressure on our defense as well.”

Dye continued to excel on the mound as he recorded three more strikeouts in the fourth to keep the Red Devils ahead 6-1.

Hall threatened again in the fifth, but Mason Lynch prevented more scoring with a strikeout to end the inning.

In the sixth inning, the Cavs started to get to Dye as Seth Adams led off and reached on an error at first.

Lynch singled to left, causing Pecher to come to the mound in relief.

Brendan Boudreau drew a walk to load the bases with no outs.

Billy Mini got the Cavs their second run of the night with a sacrifice fly to left to cut the deficit to 6-2.

Pecher got pinch hitter Adrian Arzola to pop out to him for the first out of the inning.

Nolan Van Duzer hit an RBI double to deep center to score Lynch, but Pecher and the Red Devils slammed the door shut as Hall maintained a 6-3 lead.

“Pecher was big in relief,” Keegan said. “He came in and walked a guy and then helped keep L-P from getting a big rally going. It’s nice on the defense being behind guys that are pitching well like they were.”

Lapp led Hall (2-0) with two hits and an RBI, and Galetti added two RBIs.

Van Duzer had two hits for L-P (1-2).