Park Center/Columbia Heights/Maranatha baseball continued a strong start to its season last week with a six-inning win over Cooper on April 17 at home.
PCM began the week with a narrow but eventful 7-6 win over St. Anthony on the road on April 15. Ty Lovcik was a commanding force in the victory. He pitched four innings and got six strikeouts, while also getting three hits and two RBI.
The game between PCM and Cooper started quickly and fast. Cooper picked up two runs in the top of the first from Matthew Gerding and Chris Oates, with an RBI single for Arlo Meyer and an RBI double for EJ Simmons.
PCM pitcher Will Severson responded well to early challenges and cut the scoring there with help from second baseman Jose Garcia and first baseman Lovcik.
Now at bat, PCM struck back with clinical precision. Lovcik struck a two RBI home run to lead Beau Bratsch, Nevan Johnson, and himself home for three runs. Kennedy Capp then hit an RBI single to lead Adam Aasen home after he had hit a single of his own and stolen second base. Gavin Jessen then hit an RBI double for Nolan Schneider, who had come in as a courtesy. Jessen then ran home on an error to make it six runs for PCM. Cooper cleaned up with an out for shortstop Kameron Fox ending the mayhem. PCM led 6-2.
Stronger defensive play from both teams kept the second inning runless, with Severson pitching strong, while Cooper brought Owen Vetter on to pitch. Cooper had some signs of scoring potential at the top of the third as Meyer grabbed an early single, but dynamic work from PCM third baseman Bratsch, Lovcik at first, and Garcia at second tied up the Hawks.
PCM then got back to work. Gresyn Rennie had an inspired bottom of the third, hitting a single, stealing second and running to third as Schneider and Jessen joined him to load the bases. Rennie jogged home on an error before Bratsch contributed an RBI to get Schneider home. Jessen joined soon after. Lovcik then hit a two RBI for Johnson and Lovcik, before Fox got the Hawks an out at second base to end the latest scoring madness. PCM led 11-2.
Cooper responded in the top of the fifth with one run for Simmons, with an RBI hit for Vetter. A scoreless fifth inning followed, with Severson adding two strikeouts and two good tags for Cooper’s Chris Giroux at first base.
PCM ended the game early in the bottom of the sixth, finding runs for Severson and Capp through a two-RBI hit from Nolan Schneider. PCM ended the game 13-3, its third straight win.
Other results
Cooper played two other games last week, including a 13-1 loss to Holy Angels on April 15. They then took on Kennedy on April 19, competing in a close 8-5 loss to the Eagles at Red Haddox Field.
PCM faced their first loss of the season on April 20, falling 7-6 to DeLaSalle in a game decided by a winning run in the bottom of the seventh after the two teams remained tied for two full innings.
PCM will play three conference games the following week, hosting Richfield on April 22 (after this edition went to press), traveling to Fridley on Wednesday, April 24, and hosting Holy Angels on Friday, April 26.
Cooper will play three conference games the following week, traveling to Fridley on April 22 (after this edition went to press), hosting DeLaSalle on Wednesday, April 24, and traveling to Richfield on Friday, April 26.
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