Calvary Christian Cools Off Pine Crest With 10-2 Win

Pine Crest came into their game with Calvary Christian having won four straight games. The Panthers were getting timely hitting and solid pitching. On Tuesday, they were cooled off by an Eagles team that was looking to continue a streak of their own.

Calvary used big hits in the middle innings and a solid pitching performance by Austin Sovay to defeat Pine Crest 10-2 in the non-district match up. Taylor Gushue and Tyler Middlebrooks were the offensive stars of the afternoon.

The Panthers actually scored first in this one. Pine Crest’s Lance Kirshenbaum walked with one out in the first, and came around to score on Michael Pierson’s double down the right field line. Sovay then settled in, and would not allow another run until the sixth. By then, the game was well in hand for the Eagles.

Pine Crest starter Ben Arkin started strong, allowing no runs in the first two innings. In the third he ran into trouble. Calvary lead-off hitter Seth Natal singled up the middle. Stephen Barnett then grounded into a fielder’s choice, erasing Natal at second. Barnett proceeded to steal second base and Emilio Desilva walked. Gushue, Middlebrooks, and Dalton Dinatale followed with consecutive run producing singles, making the score 3-1 Eagles.

In the fourth, it was more of the same for Calvary. The first two batters were retired before Barnett and Desilva singled, setting the stage for the big blows of the game. Gushue hit a towering three-run home run to dead center, and Middlebrooks completed the scoring in the inning by going back to back with a solo shot of his own.

“Taylor’s three-run homer was hit into the teeth of the wind,” said Calvary Coach Greg Mucerino. “At that time it was a big boost for us. He’s something special.”

On the mound for the Eagles, Sovay was cruising into the sixth when he ran into a jam. Kirshenbaum singled to left, followed by a Pierson base hit. After Zack Kessinger went down on strikes, Arkin was hit by a pitch to load the bases. Mucerino then stuck with his starting pitcher and allowed him to work out of the jam by getting Chandler Cissel to ground to second and Harrison Meister on a come-backer to the mound. Mucerino was impressed with th day’s work of Sovay.

“Austin was outstanding,” said the Calvary coach. “I was concerned early, he had some deep counts, he gave up that one run double, but he settled down and got command of his fastball….He really mixed his pitches well. He threw the two-seamer with some real effectiveness. He did a good job.”

Calvary improved to 3-2-1 with the win, while Pine Crest dropped to 4-2.

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