Utica plays clean baseball in victory vs Northridge
- Crew Young allowed four hits and struck out six in Utica%27s victory.
- Garret Robberts had two hits%2C including a double%2C and two RBI.
JOHNSTOWN – Utica ends each huddle with the word "Huntington."
The Division III state tournament would seem to be an ambitious goal for a team that finished in the bottom half of the Licking County League a season ago. The Redskins, however, are filled with young talent, and a few more games like Wednesday might bring that dream closer to reality.
Utica committed just one error against host Northridge and kicked the door in when the Vikings opened it. The Redskins scored in every inning but the first in rolling to an 8-2 victory.
"When you get a strong lead, it feels good," said junior right-hander Crew Young, who allowed four hits in a complete game. "It feels like you can do whatever. ... We came out with that strong lead, and that let me have a little bit more room on the mound."
Utica (2-1, 1-1 LCL) wasted seven no-hit innings from Garret Robberts in Monday's season-opening loss to Licking Heights. The Redskins left 11 runners on base and botched a squeeze bunt.
The past two days, in victories against Sheridan and Northridge, Utica played like a contender for the Licking County League and district titles. Robberts had two RBI hits, including a double to deep left-center, on Wednesday, and Young added an RBI double.
"The first game, we didn't bunt that great," senior catcher Austin Parmer said. "We missed signs. Getting our signs down I think really helped us. We played small ball, and then we have some power hitters. The mixture is really good right now."
Throwing errors gave Utica two base runners to start the second inning, and they scored on a Tristan Warthman sacrifice fly and a Parmer infield hit. Utica's third run in the third inning scored after a hit batter, and its fourth run in the fourth inning came after the leadoff batter struck out but reached on a wild pitch.
Northridge coach Jeff Wilson said it was an uncharacteristic performance from his veteran team. Clay Nicks allowed five runs, just two earned, in 41/3 innings.
"We started with (three) errors in the (second) inning, and that set the tone from the start, and we just had trouble recovering from that," Wilson said. "We've been very solid defensively the past couple years. ... I told the boys it happens. We might go three or four games with no errors. We've done that in the past."
Young struck out the side in the third, and he left teammate Cole Maxwell in the bullpen in the sixth, escaping a bases-loaded jam with a strikeout. Utica pitchers have allowed just nine hits in 22 innings this season.
"(Young and I) go way back," Parmer said. "When I am on and he's on, I think we are unstoppable. He hits his spots, and his curve ball was really on."
Jimmy Crabtree, who was hit by pitch twice, stole a base and scored twice for Utica, which had six players score and record an RBI. Andrew Hollis reached three times, and Matt Simmons had an RBI hit for Northridge (1-1, 1-1).
ksnyder@newarkadvocate.com
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