Heath baseball rides Woodward's stellar performance into first place
HEATH ― Warmer weather and sunny days tend to bring out the best in everyone, especially after what baseball and softball teams have endured during the start of the season.
In a showdown for the Licking County League-Cardinal Division baseball lead Monday, Heath senior Hayden Woodward took that to an extreme.
Not only did he slam a pair of two-run homers at Dave Klontz Field, doubling his total from all of last season. But he allowed just four hits to visiting Lakewood over six innings, sparking the Bulldogs into first place with a 4-2 victory.
"I felt real good in the cage before the game, and the weather today loosened you up," Woodward said on an evening when temperatures remained in the 70s. "I think we were all ready to go."
Observed Coach Tom Warren: "It was the first real nice day we've had, and it seemed like balls were jumping off the bat. A couple of weeks ago, with all the wind and the cold, those (home runs) might have only made it to the warning track."
The Lancers (8-2, 4-1), which had a seven-game winning streak halted, made Woodward work. He threw 113 pitches before Wyatt Binckley relieved in the seventh for the save. However, Heath's defense had his back like usual.
The Bulldogs (8-1, 4-0) committed an error to start the game, but then buckled down. Peyton Tichenor's two-out single to center scored Colton Ferry, who had reached on the error, for a 1-0 lead. Then, catcher Paul Gould threw him out trying to go to second.
Woodward launched his first home run of the spring well over the 340 sign in left center, with Kaden Green aboard, as Heath immediately responded to go up 2-1. Then in the third, Riley Baum was hit by a pitch and Woodward pulled another two-run shot over the left field fence, making it 4-1.
"The first one was a high fastball that I saw pretty well, and on the second one, I thought he (losing pitcher Luke Pierce) would try to work me inside, and he kind of hung a curveball," said Woodward, who added a sixth-inning single and went 3 for 3.
That proved to be enough runs for him to work with, especially with a veteran defense behind him making plays.
In the third inning, third baseman Binckley snagged a hard line drive by Ferry, and doubled the runner off first. In the fifth, after Nate Gall doubled to right center, center fielder Conner Toomey dove into the right center gap for a sliding catch, robbing Mason Sprankle and saving a run.
"We've seen it happen before. Make one mistake against a good hitting team, and they take advantage," Toomey said. "But when we have an error, we come right back and make good plays. I thought that ball was going to be in the gap, but as I got closer, I decided to go for it and dive. We couldn't give up that run."
The Lancers made Woodward throw 33 pitches in the sixth. Ferry singled, stole second and third and scored on Tichenor's hard chopper behind the bag at third for an infield hit. But with two runners on, shortstop Green threw from deep in the hole for the final out, keeping it at 4-2.
"They can put the ball in play, anywhere on the field," Woodward said. "I just had to throw strikes and let my defense work. We have a lot of experience, and I trust every player out there."
He struck out five and walked two to pick up the win.
"Anytime Woody is on the hill, you know he's a contact pitcher and relies on his defense," Warren said. "We felt pretty confident when we took a 4-1 lead, but Lakewood is an excellent team, from top to bottom in their lineup. They're well coached, don't make mistakes and don't beat themselves."
Pierce and William Marrero, who went the final two innings, combined for four strikeouts and yielded just five hits.
Coach Chuck Davis is proud of the way the Lancers have been playing. The defending district champions, both fielding seasoned rosters, will play a rematch May 3 at Don and Mary Ann Thorp Field.
"We've been pitching well and playing really good defense, and up to today, we had been hitting well," Davis said. "Their pitcher did a good job of mixing up his pitches, and we couldn't barrel it up as well. We didn't hit like we were capable, and did not do a good enough job offensively."
The Bulldogs know they can't let up. They travel to Licking Heights on Wednesday for a crossover contest, then play veteran Utica in their own division on Thursday and Friday.
"This is a big week for us, and we got off to a good start today," Warren said. "We have to be ready, every day, because any team in this league can beat you."
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This article originally appeared on Newark Advocate: Heath baseball rides Woodward's stellar performance into first place
