Lakewood Beats St Edward In Cross Town Matchup

 Winning pitcher Drew Jones. 

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Late (bottom 6th) in a tense Friday night rivalry game, with the game tied at 2, Lakewood junior Drew Jones laced a double off the right field wall, driving in Cooper Russell with the go ahead run. Nick Hart provided an insurance run with another double, then Drew Jones (yes, him again!) slammed the door, pitching a scoreless 7th. Drew was also the winning pitcher (3 innings, 1 run)---a stellar performance in an unforgettable game. When Brady Long calmly fielded a ground ball with 2 outs in the 7th and threw it to first---to the delight, and relief, of the many Ranger fans in attendance--Lakewood secured a much earned 4-2 win over St Edward. Drew also drove in Lakewood's second run with a first inning sacrifice fly. He did not, however, cook the team meal.

Lakewood won with a tried and true formula--strong pitching (Leo Soneson, who signed with Mount Union today, started and allowed just 1 run in 4 innings), timely hitting and, in this case, elite defense. With one out in the 7th, Riley Verderber fielded a ball deep behind third and nipped the flying Eagle with a laser to first. Shortstop Cooper Russell, who sparked the Ranger 6th inning Rally with a leadoff single, was flawless, and made two fabulous plays. Center fielder Luke Legato, who drove in Lakewood's 1st run with a first inning double (scoring Cooper) coolly snagged a bases load drive to snuff out a St. Ed's rally. Right fielder Peter Checkett, who normally plays infield, made several running catches. Catcher Logan Ellis threw out a would be stealer and was solid behind the plate.

It took a great team effort to beat the always tough Eagles. The words "perfection" and "baseball" rarely belong in the same sentence. But there were two perfections tonight--the Lakewood defense and, pardon the cliche, the vibe. The vibe was created by a beautiful, coolish, clear evening, a supportive, energetic crowd that included many Ranger Baseball alumni, and of course our beautiful field. With the field, PA announcer Ray Carr, music between innings and the fans, FNUTL at Lakewood Stadium cannot be topped by any high school baseball experience.

Congratulations to Coach Graves, his staff, and the entire Lakewood squad. The Lakewood Rangers are one team, from one town, that give it their all. Long Live Lakewood.