ARCANUM – The Arcanum Trojans run ruled the visiting Ansonia Tigers 10-0 on Senior Night with Arcanum honoring six seniors, Jaxson Christ, Nate Kessler, Aiden Psczulkoski, Bryson Sharp, Carson Tegtmeyer and Caden Thomson prior to the WOAC baseball game.
“I’m very proud of the seniors,” said Arcanum veteran coach, Randy Baker. “I told the underclassmen that’s how you’re supposed to play right there. They did a great job tonight being leaders – go out the right way on Senior Night.”
Arcanum took the field remembering the 10-1 thumping they took at the hands of Ansonia to close out 2022 season play that kept the Trojans from earning an outright WOAC championship, a championship they had to share with the Newton Indians.
“We really wanted to play tonight and avenge a loss from last year,” Coach Baker noted. “We talked about that. I told them…I was honest with them – that was one of the most disappointing losses I’ve ever had since I’ve been here when we went out there and lost to them so they came ready to play. I am very proud of the boys.”
“Arcanum is a tough team, they play really good ball,” said Ansonia coach, Dustin Hecht. “We knew we would have to play top level, we struggled at the plate a little bit and we were flat in the field. When you’re flat against a team like that it’s going to be a long day.”
Jaxson Christ crushed a 2-run triple to get Arcanum on the board in the bottom and the first and Aiden Psczulkoski picked up an RBI to give the Trojans an early 3-0 first-inning lead.
“Timely hits, great leadership, started out fast, get up on them, that was a key,” said Baker. “Come out and get ahead of them early.”
The Trojans plated three-runs in the bottom of the second to lead 6-0 after two complete with the teams playing scoreless in the third and fourth-innings.
Arcanum added a run in the bottom of the fifth and put the game away with three-runs in the sixth to earn the walk-off WOAC win.
Caden Thompson went the distance on the mound tossing a 1-hit shutout, allowing 1-walk while striking out ten.
“Thompson threw one heck of a game, 10 strikeouts, did an excellent job, commanded the zone, stayed ahead of the hitters, allowed one walk and one hit – very proud of him,” said Baker.
Bryson Sharp paced the Trojans at the plate going 3-4 with 3-runs scored. Jaxson Christ went 2-3 including a triple, 3-RBIs and 1-run; Carson Tegtmeyer was 2-4 with 1-RBI. Ethan Kearney 1-3, 3-RBIs, 2-runs; Dakota Kendig 1-1, 1-run; Nate Kessler 1-2, 1-walk, 1-RBI. 1-run; Aiden Psculkoski 1-3, 1-RBI, 1-run.
Nick Burns accounted for the Tigers’ lone hit of the night; a single.
With the win, Arcanum improves to 9-1 in conference play, tied with Newton for the top spot and 16-3 overall on the season. Ansonia drops to 5-5 in the WOAC and 7-12 overall on the year.
Arcanum takes its 9-1 WOAC record against the Newton Indians 9-1 conference mark Tuesday, May 9th in a 5 p.m. home game to decide the 2023 Western Ohio Athletic Conference Championship.
123 456 7 R H E
000 000 X 0 1 1 Ansonia
330 013 X 10 11 1 Arcanum
