McCann's Control Off the Mark Against Smith
NORTH ADAMS, Mass — The McCann Tech baseball team got off to a great start against Smith Academy on Monday, taking a 7-1 lead after two innings of play. Things fell apart for the Hornets in the fourth, however, and the Falcons controlled the game from there on their way to a 19-7 win on the road.Control issues were a major factor in the game spiraling out of control for McCann, which received a solid start out of junior TJ Therrien until he ran into trouble in the fourth. Therrien ended up walking four batters in just over three innings of work, a sign of things to come for Hornets' staff that allowed 16 base on balls in the game. Smith ended up scoring eight runs in the fourth inning alone and added five more in the fifth to open a 14-7 lead, taking advantage of six walks, six hits and four McCann errors in that span.
"We started out very strong in the first few innings," Hornets head coach Pat Ryan said. "Our bats came to play and we collected all 10 of our hits in the first two innings. Giving up 16 walks and making five errors says enough for their 19 runs. It just took the wind out of our sails. Baseball is funny sport, where one inning can totally turn the game around, and that's just what happened to us today. We will just put it behind us and move forward, though, learning from our mistakes and growing as a team."
Steven Golonka survived a tough start to earn the win for the Falcons. He struck out four and walked two batters in six innings of work. Senior Mike Chappell led the Hornets (2-3) on offense, going 2 for 4 with a double, two RBI and a run scored. Junior Chad Raimer also went 2 for 4 with a triple, while senior Zach Tatro finished 2 for 3 with one RBI and a stolen base.
McCann will try to rebound with a home game against Granby on Wednesday. First pitch is scheduled for 4 p.m.