BATS KEEP LANCERS WARM

By Bill Schneider Gates Mills, OH -- On a misty, cold afternoon at Figgie Field at Sharnsky Stadium, the Gilmour bats sliced through the cold for 12 hits and eight runs enroute to a 8-1 win over Shaker Hts. Things happened fast for the Lancers. In the bottom of the first, Sean Pitrone tripled to right and scored on Zac Titas' double. After a single and steal by Joe Salerno put runners on second and third, Tyler Hall grounded out in the hole at third. When the first baseman's attempt to gun down Salerno at third went wild, Salerno came home and it was 3-0. The good times kept rolling in the second. After Brayden Benisek reached on an error, Brady Olsen drove a double off the right field wall, scoring Benisek all the way from first. Pitrone singled him to third and Olsen scored on Titas' single. Salerno was given the green light on 3-0 and doubled down the left field line, scoring Titas an making it 6-0. From there CJ Santagata (2-0) settled in. CJ went six innings for the win, giving up one run on four hits while striking out seven. The Lancer bats woke up again in the 6th. Singles by Olsen and Pitrone were followed by a scorching grounder by Titas that went under the third baseman's glove for an error, scoring Olsen. Hall lined a single to right center, scoring Titas to cap the day. Pitrone, the reigning Player of the Week lead all hitter with three hits. Titas, Olsen and Salerno each had two in the winning effort. Aiden Anders struck out two in working a 1-2-3 seventh. The Big Blue Machine moves to 5-0 and hosts Hawken Friday at The House of Thrills.