MOUNT VERNON — Three Mount Vernon Yellow Jacket pitchers took the mound Wednesday and combined for a no-hitter in a 10-0 win over the Mansfield Senior Tygers.
“They’re starting to buy into that you don’t have to strike everybody out,” Mount Vernon coach Nate Hunt said. “Fill the strike zone up and let your guys do some work. They’ve really embraced that.”
Mount Vernon starter Trenton Kane-Sapp started off hot, facing only three batters in the top of the first inning, including two strikeouts. He notched another two strikeouts in the top of the second to keep the Tygers off the base path. After three-straight strikeouts by Kane-Sapp, the Jackets were finally able to get their bats going in the bottom of the third.
“That’s baseball,” Hunt said of his team’s slow start. “If they can throw strikes and you don’t get your best swing on it, anyone can catch a pop up and anyone can field a ground ball.”
Fry came in to pitch in the fourth inning and sat down three-straight Mansfield Senior batters with two strikeouts in the frame. He then helped himself on offense, scoring on a pop up in the bottom of the fourth.
Mansfield Senior’s lone baserunner came in the fifth on a walk and he advanced to second on a balk, but the scoring chance was quickly eliminated.
The Jackets again got their big bats out in the bottom of the sixth to put the game on ice. Jack Davidson tripled and later scored on a Carson Carpenter single. Snyder knocked a double to score Aaron Stallard and Carpenter to push the lead to 9-0. With Snyder on third, Gleason smacked a single to score Snyder and end the game because of the run rule.
Kane-Sapp led the way on the mound for Mount Vernon, lasting three innings with no hits and seven strikeouts to his credit. Fry threw two relief innings with four strikeouts and a walk. Hubbard came on to close out and threw an inning with a strikeout.
At the plate, Snyder had three hits, including a double, three RBI and two runs to lead the Jackets. Fry had a double and a single and two runs scored. Davidson chipped in a triple, while Carpenter, Hubbard, Gleason, Stallard and Blake Meyer each added a single. Carpenter finished his night with two runs and two RBI.
Luke Hodapp threw all six innings for the Tygers, surrendering 11 hits and seven earned runs, with a walk and a strikeout. Mike Morganstern was the lone Mansfield Senior player to get on base by drawing a walk.
After two-straight wins over the Tygers, Mount Vernon now sits at 7-5 with a 4-2 record in the Ohio Cardinal Conference. The Jackets return to the diamond on the road today against Licking Heights with a 5 p.m. start.
“A lot of baseball, which makes me excited,” Hunt said. “I think our guys are really starting to hit their groove.”
