When ace righthander Kade Chrysler of Edina threw the first pitch against Armstrong Saturday, April 20, at Braemar Park, the temperature was 36 degrees.
Armstrong took a quick 2-0 lead, but in the bottom of the third inning Edina scored seven runs, and that’s the way it stayed for a 7-2 Hornet victory.
Judicious in his use of Chrysler, Nevers took him out early, replacing him with another righthander, Elliott Cooper.
The Falcons had trouble with Cooper and didn’t make much contact in the 4 and 1/3 innings that the Edina pitcher worked. Luke Weisjahn was the one Armstrong player with a good day. He was three-for-four with an RBI.
“Elliot pounded the strike zone with all of his pitches,” Edina head coach Tom Nevers said. “He did a phenomenal job. At this level, if you can throw strikes, you’ll be on the mound.”
It helped that Cooper was throwing to one of the best catchers in the Lake Conference, Owen Hatch.
Coming off a 10-0 Lake Conference loss earlier in the week, Edina was focused throughout the game, according to the head coach.
“Communication was good with the seniors leading the way,” Nevers said. “It was nice to get back to the way we like to play.”
Through the thick part of the batting order, Edina’s experience showed. They have seniors Hatch, Pete Sullivan, Jack McCoy, Michael Simonson, George “Doc” McIntyre and Dylan Curme in their “Senior Row.”
“It’s easy to make the lineup when you have experienced players,” coach Nevers observed. “Simonson is blazing hot early in the season.”
Simonson went three-for-four with two RBIs in the victory over Armstrong. Sullivan went two-for-three with a walk and also had two RBIs. Other Hornet hits were by Hatch, McIntyre, Curme and Reid LaFrenz.
Going into this week’s action, Edina had four games. And next week the Hornets have three more.
“We have nice depth and everyone is healthy,” Nevers said. “Seven games in two weeks with test our pitching.”
The Hornets added to their depth at the end of last week when All-State hockey player Jackson Nevers, the coach’s son, returned after the Junior hockey season ended in Waterloo, Iowa.
Nevers started at shortstop all of last season when the Hornets won the Section 6AAAA Tournament and placed third at state. “We’ll ease Jackson back into the lineup,” coach Nevers said.
There was one scare last week, when lefthanded pitcher Charlie Moore of the Hornets took a line drive off of his pitching arm from Wayzata’s Adam Deselich. Moore left the game immediately as the elbow showed a bruise.
“He is feeling good and will be playing catch this week,” coach Nevers said.
Moore contributed to the run to state last spring and was an important pitcher for the Edina American Legion team last summer. Like Chrysler and Cooper, he throws a high percentage of strikes.
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