Sat Jul 31 2010
by Michael Leonard
Sports Editor
Tallmadge baseball fell to 1-2 April 4 as the Blue Devils were swept in a doubleheader at Dublin Coffman High School.
The Blue Devils were anxious to get back on the field this week, but Mother Nature had other ideas.
Snow and wet fields wiped out Tallmadge's early-week schedule. Tallmadge made up one game with Medina Highland April 9 (results were not available at press time) and is scheduled to face Highland April 15 at home at 4:30 p.m. to make up the other game.
"It was really frustrating [April 8]," said Tallmadge coach Kenny Linn. "It's one thing when it's snowing and you know you're going to be inside.
"It's another thing when it knocks you out the next day because the field is still saturated," he added.
Prior to the snow storm, Tallmadge dropped a 4-3 loss to Dublin Coffman April 4 and then lost 3-1 decision to defending Division I state runner-up St. Ignatius.
In game one against the Shamrocks, Linn said the loss was no fault of senior starting pitcher Joe Cochran.
Cochran went six innings, allowing three runs (one earned), four hits, three walks and a hit batsman. He struck out eight Shamrocks and also had a double and an RBI at the plate.
"He did a great job," Linn said.
Linn noted Tony Zigo was the hero for Coffman, as he hit a two-run double in the fourth inning to give Coffman a 3-0 lead.
The lead stayed that way until the sixth inning as Coffman starter Victor Migliore kept the Blue Devils off balance. Migliore scored a complete-game win.
With one out in the sixth, however, Tallmadge found its hitting stroke. Jake Patrick started the rally with a double, followed by a run-scoring double from Cochran.
Senior catcher Pat Kilway then walked and with two outs, shortstop A.J. Williams blasted a two-run double to left to tie the game.
"We're all pumped up, but then they came back on us," Linn said.
In the bottom of the seventh, junior Garrett Emling came on to pitch. Emling retired the first two batters, but Coffman's No. 9 hitter hit a single. Zigo then played the hero again, smacking an RBI double to make it 4-3 in Coffman's favor.
Linn said his team was deflated in the seventh inning and went down 1-2-3 to end the game.
Tallmadge outhit Coffman 7-6, including four doubles, but could not take advantage of its opportunities.
"We didn't make the adjustments we needed to, except in the sixth inning," Linn said. "[Migliore] outdueled Joe. It's a big program," I felt we were every bit as good as them. The facility they have is just gorgeous."
Linn said his team went into game two of its doubleheader deflated, while the Wildcats were ready to go after being upset by Euclid April 2.
That really deflated us.
Tallmadge sent Brian Kilway to the mound and Kilway performed well. He gave up three runs off five hits in five innings of work.
The problem was one of the hits Kilway allowed was a two-run home run to Ignatius' Dave Gallagher in the fourth inning. The blast gave Ignatius a 3-0 lead. Freshman Tucker Linger pitched a scoreless sixth inning.
Linn lauded the other Kilway brother, as Pat Kilway made a beautiful throw to gun down Ignatius' Frank DeSico while stealing in the bottom of the first and smacked a double in the top of the second.
The elder Kilway brother signed a letter of intent to continue his baseball career at Lake Erie College April 8. The problem was Kilway's double marked the only extra base hit of the game for Tallmadge. Emling got Tallmadge's only other hit on a bunt single.
Tallmadge's lone run came in the fifth, when Patrick reached base on a fielder's choice, advanced to third on two passed balls and came home on an error.
"We had opportunities; we just didn't get timely hits," Linn said. "We just made a lot of little poor mistakes in those two games."
Tallmadge was scheduled to play another doubleheader April 11 against Lakewood St. Edward and Strongsville, but results weren't available at press time.
The Blue Devils have a full week this week, as they are set to play Suburban League rival Barberton at home April 13, travel to Barberton April 14, host league foe Highland April 15 and host Hudson April 16. All games are scheduled to start at 4:30 p.m.
E-mail: mleonard@recordpub.com
Phone: 330-686-3913
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