STEUBENVILLE - Cadiz Post 34 won its second game in a row and handed Steubenville Post 33 its fourth loss in a row with a 6-5 decision Thursday at Vaccaro Field.
"We knew it was going to be a heck of a game and it was, both guys on both sides kept battling," said Post 34 coach Brandt Mazeroski.
"Their pitcher pitched well," Steubenville coach Mark Stacy said of Josh Kernick. "He pitched well against us the first time (a 4-3 Post 33 win). He throws the ball well."
Cadiz jumped on the board with five runs in the top of the third inning and Kernick kept Post 33 without a hit until the fifth inning.
"I think we relaxed a little when we scored those five," said Mazeroski. "But, we came back and made the plays when we had to."
Chase Hopkins doubled, and singles followed by Ryan Rose Nick Patrione and D.J. Busby. Spencer Badia laid down a drag bunt and Austin Marshall walked.
Sacrifice flies by Rasheen Mitchell and Nick Pelegreen were sandwiched around Kernick's bloop single.
Post 34 scored one in the top of the fifth inning for a 6-0 lead.
"We knew Steubenville was going to come back and they did," said Mazeroski. "They are a great program and they're coaches are awesome."
Brenton Colabella singled in the bottom of the sixth. He came around to score when Steve Mihalyo's single was misplayed into three bases. Mihalyo scored on Bryan Pierro's groundout.
JoJo Pierro was issued a two-out walk in the bottom of the seventh. He stole second and went to third when the throw hit his helmet, but was left stranded when Cadiz pitcher Spencer Badia, who entered in the bottom of the sixth for Kernick, got the last out on a strikeout.
"Hitting is contagious, and when you're not hitting, that is contagious, too" said Stacy. "The last three games we haven't swung the bats hardly at all. We didn't get a hit tonight until the fifth inning. We got it going pretty good after that.
"We have a better hitting team that what we have shown so far. We've really struggled the last three games. When you're swinging the bats well you get those dump hits, but we're not getting those right now because we're not swinging the bats well.
"I expect better from us. I think we're better than this.
"We're a young, inexperienced group, but, I think we are going to get better as the season goes on."
Cadiz 6, Steubenville 5
Post 34 005 010 0 - 6 11 3
Post 33 000 032 0 - 5 5 3
CADIZ (2-4): Kernick (WP, 2K, 2BB), Badia (6, 2K, 0BB) and Patrone; Badia 2S, D; Hopkins D; Busby S; Mitchell S, rbi; Pelegreen rbi; Kernick 3S; Rose S, rbi; Patrone S, rbi.
STEUBENVILLE (4-4): Linn (LP, 0K, 1BB), Malesky (4, 1K, 0BB), B. Pierro (6, 1K, 2BB) and Laukert; Young S; Colabella S; Mihalyo S; Malesky S; B. Pierro rbi; Laukert S.
