Wahconah Baseball Opens With Win at Hoosac

CHESHIRE, Mass. -- The Wahconah baseball team defeated Hoosac Valley, 11-5, on Wednesday in the season opener for both teams.

 

The Hurricanes got on the board first in the bottom of the first inning after JP Levesque came in off a Nate Tomkiewicz hit, but Wahconah came out in the second inning and took a 4-1 lead.

 

It started with Marco Anastastio, who scored the first run for Wahconah off a Hoosac Valley error. Ty Cowdrey then hit a two-run single, sending in Will Genaway and Andrew Kowalczyk. The fourth run came after Hoosac pitcher Austin Milesi was called for a balk, sending home Collin Parrott.

 

Keagan McGrath took over on the mound for Milesi in the top of the third, and Wahconah scored two more runs. Kowalczyk hit one deep to left field, sending Anastastio home. A few plays later Kowalczyk found himself in position to steal home, taking a 6-1 lead.

 

It was in the bottom of the fourth when Hoosac found their bats. Matt Koperniak and Milesi came in off a Jameson Coughlan hit that dropped deep in the outfield, Coughlan was then brought in after a similar hit to right field from Javon Reynolds. Reynolds made the score 6-5 after McGrath reached on an error.

 

"We made three infield errors in one inning, where they had their big four runs," Wahconah coach Jared Shannon said. "We have to get rid of that, but I think some of that is just the speed of the ball. They've been hitting ground balls in the gym, and out here it's different."

 

Sophomore Ethan Forfa went to the mound for Wahconah in the bottom of the fifth, striking out three in a row.

 

The visitors put five more runs on the board in the seventh inning, which sealed the win for them as Hoosac couldn't answer in the bottom of the inning.

 

"He [Forfa] did a heck of a job," Shannon said. "He did what we needed."

 

"It's good to be outside and it's good to be on a field, we have a lot to work on, but I think we're in a pretty good place."

 

Wahconah will face Monument Mountain Friday, pending field conditions, Hoosac hosts St. Joe Friday at 4 p.m.