Gehlen Catholic baseball came from behind to win their seventh conference game in a row with a 4-2 victory over Unity Christian at home on Wednesday night.
The Jays went the first five innings without scoring a run and left a total of seven runners on base. Gehlen Catholic head coach Kirk Kronaizl says these games are tough to play through but important to test the quality of the team.
The Jays finally broke through on the scoreboard in the sixth inning. The Jays loaded the bases with nobody out to leadoff the inning. That was followed by sophomore Gabe Wiltgen pinch hitting and grounding into a fielder’s choice to get the first run across. Coach Kronaizl says that at bat was big for Wiltgen who had been struggling at the plate.
The Jays got the tying run in off a Dylan Lehmann base hit with two outs in the inning. Coach Kronaizl says he utilized a hit and run scenario because he knew Lehmann would come through.
On the mound, it was a rough start for David Begnoche who allowed two runs in the first inning thanks to three hits to lead off the inning. Begnoche then proceeded to finish the game retiring 15 of the last 16 batters he faced. Coach Kronaizl says Begnoche’s play has been impressive, and this outing proved it.
The Jays remain in second place in the War Eagle Conference now sitting at 7-1 in conference games. As the Jays come down to the final week and a half of the season, Coach Kronaizl says they are very close to playing their best baseball of the year, and that is great to see.
The Jays overall record now sits at 14-8. Unity Christian fell to 7-12 overall and 5-4 in the War Eagle Conference.
