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Jim Wieners’ Prep Sports Roundup: American National Baseball
Struggles From Start of Season
By Jim Wieners
It has been a struggle from the start of the 2018 season for the St. Louis Amateur Baseball Association’s American National teams.
Prior to June 21 the 18 and under Eagles has only one win — 8-3 over Belleville, Ill., East on June 12 — to go along with five losses. The 15 and under Eagles, prior to June 13, lost their first six games before defeating Granite City, Ill., 8-6 on June 12. The 16 and under Eagles are 0-6 prior to June 25.
EIGHTEEN AND UNDER — Despite a 1-5 start the Eagles have more hits than their opponents, 41-31, a better batting average, .325-.295, stolen bases, 5-3, fewer hits allowed by pitchers, 23-28, fewer runs allowed, 14-18 including 11-13 earned runs, a better earned run average, 3.04-3.64, hits allowed by pitchers, 23-28, and more strikeouts pitched, 23-20. Opponents fared better than the Eagles in extra-base hits, 13-10 including 1-0 in home runs, walks, 15-10, runs batted in, 18-16, strikeouts allowed by batters, 21-29, and slugging percentage, .390-381.
Michael Washington is a two-way standout for the Eagles. Offensively, Washington is batting .615 and slugging .692 with eight hits including three doubles and five runs batted in. As a pitcher, despite a 0-2 record prior to June 21, Washington pitched 12.33 innings with a 1.14 earned run average and 11 strikeouts.
In the win over Belleville East 17, at Koch Park, the Eagles, which out-hit the Lancers 10-4, scored three runs in the third inning and four more in the fourth of an error-free game by both teams. Washington doubled one and drove in three runs while scoring another while Jimmy Boswell and Tommy Rupp each hit a double and both drove in two runs.
Pitcher Jared Breyer did two-way damage in his compete-game victory. On the mound, Breyer struck out six Lancers. As a leadoff batter, he walked twice, hit a single and scored three runs. Tim Branneky scored twice.
On June 4 at Hazelwood Sports Complex, Mascoutah, Ill., 17 defeated the Eagles 7-6 thanks to two runs each in the fourth, fifth and seventh innings. The Eagles overcame a 5-2 deficit by scoring four runs in the fifth inning to take a 6-5 lead. Rupp hit a double and a triple as well as driving in two runs while Bryce Kincaid had two hits, a walked and scored two runs.
Waterloo, Ill., with a pair of runs in the fourth and fifth innings, won 7-4 at home June 19 over the Eagles, which scored twice in the third. Washington hit a double and drove in two runs while Branneky scored twice on offense while striking out five in two innings of pitching.
FIFTEEN AND UNDER — Tyler Aites leads the most offensive stats while batting .591, slugging .682, on base .682 and an OPS of 1.36. In 28 plate appearances including 22 at bats, Aites has 13 hits including two doubles, 15 total bases and eight stolen bases without being caught. Zack Cattoor, in 22 at bats, has two doubles and a triple, Kyle Gehner walked five times, Chase Bradley has seven runs batted in and Zack Molden is hit three times by pitch.
In pitching, Bradley has a 2.00 earned run average in seven innings while Molden has 11 strikeouts in eight innings. Defensively Chancellor Aites is errorless with 37 put outs while Tyler Aites has nine assists.
In the win at Granite City the Eagles score three runs in the first inning and added two more in both the third and fifth. Tyler Aites has a double and three stolen bases while scoring three runs. Bradley drove in three runs at the plate while striking out six on the mound.
In an earlier game against Granite City, May 31 at Hazelwood Sports Complex, the Warriors won an 11-10 slugfest by breaking a 10-10 tie with a sixth-inning run. Tyler Aites, Patric Austin and Latham Logue each drove in two runs. Jonathan Manjarrez, who had two stolen bases, Austin and Molden each scored twice and Cattoor struck out seven.
SIXTEEN AND UNDER — Devon Ruark is batting .444 an slugging .667 with six runs batted in, Noah Gallagher has six runs batted in, Tony Davis scored four runs and Bruce Ervin stole four bases. Daryl Wigglesworth has a 4.80 earned average with 11 strikeouts in 11.667 innings pitched. Austin Williams has 11 put outs with no errors while Wigglesworth has five assists.
