Abby/Colby baseball shines like a diamond
It’s only two weeks into the season and already the Abby/Colby baseball co-op is halfway to reaching 2019’s win total.
That was a young team, and they took their lumps in 2019, but now it’s Abby/ Colby’s turn to deliver the bruises after going 3-1 through their first four games.
“You definitely want to start the season that way,” A/C head coach Ryan Bargender said after his team’s win over Auburndale on Thursday. “Auburndale was 1-0, shut out Athens, who is one of the teams picked to win our conference.”
With Athens suffering several losses already, you might want to bet on Abby/ Colby as one of the favorites for the Marawood - North Conference. If they continue to play as they have in the first weeks of 2021, they very well could be holding a title over their heads.
Not to say that their games have been anything but easy. The co-op had to overcome several hairy moments in their wins over the Royals and Eagles. Their learning curve took another step with a loss to Edgar on Friday, and a rebound win over Pittsville on Monday, May 3.
8-2
The co-op opened 2021 with a road win over the Assumption Royals. While the final score of that April 27 contest was a 8-2 decision in favor of Abby/Colby, the co-op was clinging to a 3-2 lead heading into the top of the fourth inning.
Assumption’s Ryan Livernash fanned five Abby/Colby batters through 4.5 innings, but he gave up five runs on four hits. Nice Leberg came in as relief, but surrendered another two hits, along with three runs, to the co-op’s batters.
Marco Olvera and Hunter Soyk were nearly impenetrable at the pitcher’s mound against the Royals. Olvera got the win as he struck out six and gave up no runs and just two hits. Soyk got the save, pitching 2 2/3 innings, striking out six batters and giving up two hits.
Abby/Colby showed off some big league batting in the final innings, blasting two runs in the fifth, one in the sixth and two more runs in the seventh.
Cade Faber, Hunter Soyk and Marco Olvera all registered RBIs, with Soyk and Olvera picking up two. Faber and Ross Elmhorst each picked up one triple. Soyk added a double, stole three bases and had three of the co-op’s runs.
3-0
The players and coaches knew that the Eagles represented a good test for the coop as Auburndale was coming off that 1-0 victory over Athens - a team that had made it to the state tournament every year from 2017-19.
Abby/Colby got off to a quick start, putting pressure on the Eagles right away with one run in the first and another in the second. The score remained at 2-0 through the fourth and fifth innings, though they weren’t without drama.
The Eagles managed to load the bases with zero outs, but the co-op’s defense was impenetrable all night long. Early in the game Christian Ploeckleman helped convert on a double-play for two outs, and Brandon Diedrich did the same.
“Our defense rose to the occasion, especially when the bases were loaded,” Bargender said. “We were able to turn a double play, and got out of it here.”
Abby/Colby tacked on an insurance run in the bottom of the fifth, and from there Ross Elmhorst and Mateo Lopez continued to strike out batters. Elmhorst got the win, striking out seven and giving up just one hit in the shut-out. Lopez struck out one and allowed one hit.
Blake Bargender, Nick and Marco Olvera all had one RBI. Abby/Colby had six hits, with Bargender, Marco Olvera and Elmhorst each notching two hits apiece Olvera and Elmhorst both hit a double.
Bargender cited the team’s unity and depth as the keys to the victory against a tough Eagles squad.
“We’ve been getting contributions out of quite a few guys, and we expect that. We need everyone to make some contribution in these sort of games, tonight Christian and Brandon came up with some big plays . . . and Ross Elmhorst and Mateo Lopez did a great job throwing the ball. They were lights out.”
Edgar, 11-8
The co-op faced its biggest test of the season thus far in an experienced and athletic Edgar Wildcats squad on the road on Friday night.
Abby/Colby drew first blood, racing out to a 3-0 lead at the top of the first, only to see Edgar roar back with a seven run spurt at the bottom of the first inning.
The co-op refused to wilt, and slowly chipped away at the lead, picking up one run in the second and three more in the third. Edgar went scoreless to tie things up at 7-7 going into the fourth, but while the co-op was knocking the laces off the ball to the tune of 12 hits, five errors and eight walks were the co-op’s downfall.
Edgar recorded eleven hits to drive in seven RBIs, and the ‘Cats stormed back in the fourth with three runs. Abby/Colby added one more run in the fifth, but Edgar answered, and held fast to hand the co-op their first loss of the season.
Marco Olvera led in the batter’s box with three hits, followed by Brandon Diedrich, Ross Elmhorst and Mateo Lopez with two hits apiece. Hunter Soyk, JV Castillo and Cade Faber all had one hit. Brandon Diedrich and Marco and Nick Olvera combined for six strike outs, while Marco took the loss.
10-4
Abby/Colby did not dwell on their loss to Edgar for long, rebounding on Monday night at home to bounce Pittsville 10-4.
Pittsville scored first, but from there it was all Abby/Colby as the co-op dropped four runs on their visitors in the bottom of the first, two more in the second and then another four in the bottom of the fourth. Pittsville tacked one more run on at the top of the six but it barely made a dent in the co-op’s lead.
Diedrich and Hunter Soyk had two hits each. Mason Carpenter, Mateo Lopez and Ross Elmhorst had one hit apiece. Elmhorst crushed the co-op’s first home run of the season and Diedrich and Soyk had one double.
