Despite losing, Sweet Home baseball sees improvement
by PATRICK J. NAGY Reporter

It didn't show on the scoreboard too much last week, but Sweet Home coach Derek Zgoda saw improvement of his team from the first to second games of the season.

The Panthers, which have 15 new players to the lineup, lost 7-0 to Clarence on April 2 and 5-2 versus Williamsville East on April 3.

"You could tell after the East game that we took a couple of steps forward from the Clarence game," said Zgoda. "With such a young group, all you can hope for is that you are better at the end of the season than now."

Clarence's Lance Roe threw a no-hitter and 10 strikeouts against the Panthers. Sweet Home's Brian Pappagallo and John Graziano reached base on errors in the first and seventh innings, respectively.

Clarence's bats backed up Roe, scoring runs in the first, third, fourth, fifth and seventh innings. The Red Devils one through five hitters combined to go 8 of 17. Chris Gentzke was 2 for 4 and scored three runs. Justin Urschel was 4 for 4 and scored a run.

"They're a real veteran team that won a league championship as juniors," said Zgoda. "They're every bit as good as advertised."

Travis Denman gave up three earned runs, five hits and struck out two through four innings. When Denman left, Sweet Home trailed 3-0.

"He kept us in the game," said Zgoda.

Zgoda also lauded the defensive work of sophomore shortstop Casey Kacz.

Zgoda said the Williamsville East final score does not indicate his team's performance.

"We trailed 3-2 going into the sixth and left the bases loaded with one out and they tacked on two more runs," said Zgoda. "It was a nip-and-tuck game the whole way."

Sweet Home scored both of its runs in the second. Maxwell, who reached base on a fielder's choice, and Derek Wiser, who walked, converted a double steal and reached home after a two-RBI triple from Denman. Denman also doubled.

With the bases loaded in the sixth, East's Zach Miller struck out Kacz and Graziano and threw a perfect seventh with three groundouts to pick up the win in relief.

East got two insurance runs in the seventh. Nick Kanutsu doubled in Matt Graci, who had walked and was sacrificed to second by Gary Styn. Mike Ferguson then singled in Kanutsu.

Josh DiMarco, Justin Andreozzi and Miller limited Sweet Home to four hits, but Zgoda felt his team hit more balls in play than the Clarence game, giving his team a chance to win.

Sophomore left fielder Mike Wolcott had Sweet Home's first hit of the year with a base hit in the third.

Maxwell allowed two unearned runs, five hits, and struck out five through six innings. He also singled at the plate.

Sweet Home (0-2, 0-1), weather permitting, is scheduled to host Baldwinsville at 11 a.m. on Saturday. The Panthers return to league play at 5 p.m. on Monday, April 16, when they host West Seneca West. East (3-0, 1-0) hosts Amherst at 4:30 p.m. the same day.

Amherst Central The Tigers' only game last week was one they would like to forget.

Amherst dropped its home opener, 11-2, against West Seneca East on April 3. The Tigers trailed 10-0 after the third inning.

Amherst coach Brian Davis said mental mistakes defensively led to his team's downfall.

"I expected us to play better defensively," said Davis. "In the second inning, we dropped a couple of routine fly balls. West Seneca East also bunted a couple of times, and we didn't know which base to throw to."

Davis said his team loaded the bases in the fourth and fifth with one out but could not come up with a hit.

Tom Ponticelli pitched three scoreless innings, allowing two hits and striking out five in relief of Mike Yanity. Shaun Garus allowed two hits and a run in two innings. Garus and Ponticelli had two of the team's five hits. Garus had the team's only RBI.

Amherst (0-1) is scheduled to host Wilson, weather permitting, at noon on Thursday. A home game last Wednesday versus Hamburg and a non-league game with Grand Island, scheduled for April 10, was cancelled.

e-mail: pnagy@beenews.com