The Cicero Rattlers entered the Sports Center Arena on Saturday night fired up and ready to go against a talented Central Square Red Hawks team.
Cicero played smart baseball from the start, benefiting from a struggling pitcher who gave up 3 walks in the first inning. Hits by Daniel Capp and Michael Mooney brought in runs and kept the bases loaded.
Then, with Sean Bombard, Mooney and Capp on base, Connor Pearce treated fans to a grand-slam home run deep to left field. The inning ended with the Rattlers ahead 6-0.
Central Square continued to struggle from the mound most of the night, walking several Rattlers, hitting one and giving up 7 hits. Hits on the night came from Jacob Calabria, Nicholas Capece, Capp, Mooney and Pearce. Cicero’s aggressive base running helped drive the score up.
Meanwhile, Rattlers pitchers did a solid job toeing the rubber. Lucas Thelen pitched a no-hitter through the third inning. Calabria followed in the 4th inning, giving up 3 hits and the only run of the night for the Red Hawks. Alex Sanes-Carmona followed with two shut-out innings and Kenton Cochran finished the game – keeping the score 15-1 in Cicero’s favor.
Highlight plays on the night from Cicero included:
- Grand-slam home run by Connor Pearce, who sent the ball deep into left field with bases loaded.
- Lucas Thelen had himself a no-hitter going while on the mound, with 7 straight strike-outs. He gave up zero runs and notched 8 strike outs through the 3rd inning.
- Solid pitching from Alex Sanes-Carmona, who came in after Thelen, and got 6 strikeouts in 2 innings.
- Nice tag at 3rd base by Nicholas Capece off a quick throw by Michael Mooney (C) as a Central Square player tried to steal the base.
- Hard-hit double by Jacob Calabria, deep to center field.
- Nice catch of a line drive at first base by Jack Clary (1B).
- Nice solo put-out by Michael Mooney at first base.
Aggressive running led to multiple stolen bases on the night from Calabria, Capece, Bombard, Thelen, Pearce, Clary, Mooney, Jackson Fudge, Capp and Carmona.
Captains for the Rattlers on this night were Alex Sanes-Carmona and Lucas Thelen.
MVP for the Rattlers was Connor Pearce (Grand-Slam Homerun, 1 stolen base)
Quote for this game: Don’t just aspire to be the best ON the team, aspire to be the best FOR the team.
Photo (left to right): Kenton Cochran, Sean Bombard, Michael Mooney, Nicholas Capece, Jack Clary, Lucas Thelen, Jacob Calabria, Alex Sanes-Carmona, Daniel Capp, Connor Pearce, Jackson Fudge.